Girls and Guitars
by BellaMed
Summary: Edward Cullen is the British lead singer of a rock band, Monster. Sparks fly when he meets Bella, an American studying and working part time in the UK. AH, BPOV/EPOV.
1. Chapter 1

**The characters belong to SM, I'm just borrowing them for a bit of fun. **Rated M for eventual lemons and some language.** A big thank you to Project Team Beta for their encouraging words and great work helping me tidy it up!**

**This was my first story, and I learned a lot over the course of writing it, so I hope you'll be easy on me if you're reading it once it's complete. It's been a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy it too. Here goes...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**-Bella-**

It was 9:10 p.m. The average-sounding, punk rock opening band The Wolves had just played their last song in a sweaty London venue to a muted response by the audience. During their set, the crowd had started to thicken as people tried to grab a good spot for Monster's appearance. Roadies were carrying off The Wolves' gear and bringing out new, expensive-looking guitars and amps. The atmosphere started to feel electric with the knowledge that they would be up next. Hipster types in obscure band T-shirts mingled with starstruck female fans with their camera phones at the ready. I was neither of these, so I hung back on the sidelines, sipping a pint of beer from a plastic cup. My room-mates had dragged me along to this show but were both still at the bar. I wasn't really into Monster myself but was curious to see for myself what the fuss was about.

"Bella!" Alice said as she bounded over. "I can't wait for you to hear how good they are. This is one of the last chances to see them at such a small venue, this time next year they'll only be playing at stadiums on sell out tours." Alice spoke quickly, she seemed even more enthusiastic and excitable than usual, and that was saying something. "Nice to see you in a dress for a change, is it vintage?"

"Yeah, I got it in a shop someplace near Camden market," I replied, smoothing down the green, flared out skirt of the '50s style dress. I had teamed it with black-and-white Vans for comfort (high heels at a crowded show were not my thing) and vampish make up: blood red lips and smoky eyes. I wore my hair down.

Jasper stood beside Alice, smiling, as he quietly handed Alice her drink to her. It was nice knowing some fellow American students over here in Britain, so the three of us had bonded quickly. I didn't feel awkward with them despite the two of them being in a relationship.

Suddenly a ripple of applause and cheers erupted from the crowd. Monster was coming onstage! First off, Jacob, who took his place at the drum kit with a grin, then hulking bassist, Emmett. Finally (to even louder cheers) lead vocalist and guitarist, Edward Cullen swaggered out confidently, with a silver electric guitar.

"Hello, London! How are you all feeling tonight?" he spoke in his English accent into the mic, giving an almost irresistibly dazzling smile, then ran his hands through his unruly, reddish-brown hair. It seemed to be a habit of his. He was wearing dark jeans, a simple, black T-shirt and a black leather cuff on his wrist. He was kind of pretty: I had to admit.

I'd read Cullen's interviews in the _NME_ though and had already made up my mind about him and his inflated ego. He would say dumb, random crap or badmouth other bands just to make a good headline. The paparazzi photos of him leaving clubs with a constant stream of interchangeable beautiful, skinny blondes, didn't help his case either.

However, my thoughts on him mostly evaporated when they began to play – there was no doubting his talent or the band's. They were indie in style: mostly rocky and energetic – except for a couple of songs where they slowed the pace down, and the vocals were prettier and more romantic. I only knew a few of the songs which had been released as singles. For one of the slower songs, the others left the stage, and Edward sat down and played solo on an acoustic guitar. I think it was called "Never Think". His vocals for this were more bluesy and raw than for the rest and seemed more heartfelt. At one point he was looking into the audience, and it seemed as if he was looking right at me.

"_You'll learn to hate me_

_But still call me baby_

_Oh love,_

_Just call me by my name"_

He sang tenderly, then looked back down to his guitar chords. Looking at me? Don't be stupid, Bella. _Every girl in this room probably wishes the same_, I chided myself.

Then Jacob and Emmett came back out and it was back to electric guitars, and the glimpse of a softer Edward was over.

An hour and a half later, Monster had finished their set and played an encore then left the stage. The lights came up, and the crowd gradually starting dispersing. We were still finishing our drinks though, so we didn't rush off yet.

A tanned, well-built guy with a round tribal tattoo on his arm came up to us, and touched me on the arm.

"Hi Miss, would you be interested in coming backstage to meet the band? They've requested I come ask you, well, Edward Cullen has actually."

"Wow, really?" Alice answered before I could speak.

"Um, no," I scoffed, "I'm not planning on being one of his groupies, thanks." Hmm, perhaps he actually _was_ looking at me earlier.

"Oh, Bella, but I could go with you," she tried.

"No, come on. We're leaving _now_," I replied, grabbing her arm and linking it in mine to march her out, leaving Jasper to tag along after us. We made it out of the main hall and into the entrance area, but then Alice stopped and began rifling through her purse.

"I think I must've dropped my cell phone, it's not here."

"Well should we go back and look for it?" I asked.

"Don't worry; you wait here. I'll go and ask someone if they've had one handed in." We waited as she went back in. I checked my watch to see how late it was. We had a couple of changes to get home on the Underground, should be fine though as it ran until late. I had a shift in the morning though; I hoped I wouldn't feel too rough.

**-Edward-**

"She refused?" Somehow that only made me want her more; it wasn't often I was rejected, and she intrigued me. The dark-haired girl wasn't my usual type but stood out from the crowd with her moody good looks and quirky dress sense.

"Yeah, sorry Edward, you must be losing your touch or something."

"Did you find out her name?"

"Belle... no wait, Bella, I think it was."

Maybe I should've gone and tried speaking to her myself. This way I'd probably never see her again. Unless she was a regular at my gigs, but she's clearly not a Superfan, or she'd have wanted to meet me. Shame.

"Hey," the girl speaking was petite with short brown hair. She was escorted in by a bouncer now that the doors had been shut to the public. "I thought you might want this." She handed me a piece of paper with a few words scribbled on it. "Great show, by the way!"

"Um, thanks. Glad you enjoyed it," I said.

"Sorry mate, she said she was looking for her mobile," the bouncer said, shaking his head and walking her back out of the doors.

I unfolded the paper, and read:

_Bella Swan, The Coffee Place._

Not a number, though. Well it was something to go on. I resolved to find this Bella. It was kind of exciting, a challenge. I was bored of being handed girls on a plate, and it usually only led to one-night stands – it was kind of hard living up to their expectations for longer. Well, generally a night was probably all they expected anyway. Sex with a rock star to be able to tell their friends - or the tabloid newspapers, in some cases. I'd had my share of kiss-and-tells. The girls were fun, don't get me wrong, but something more once in a while would be nice. It was hard getting to know a girl when they thought they knew all about you already from the press.

But now it was late. Finding Bella would have to wait, and I needed something to work off the tension. Or _someone_. I sighed and unlocked my iphone to scroll through some of my "hottie" female contacts (with photos). Hmm... who would the lucky lady be tonight?

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading! I'd really appreciate your thoughts, even if it's only a line or two. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**SM owns Twilight. Thank you to Project Team Beta for offering me their talents. :) I have loved getting your alerts and favourites and I hope you enjoy reading. If so, leave me a note!**

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><p>-Edward-<p>

I awoke to the morning sunlight streaming in through the gap in the curtains at my London flat. Lila was up already, facing away from me by the mirror in her matching leopard print bra and thong and brushing her platinum blonde hair.

She turned and saw me checking her out. "Morning, gorgeous." She laughed. "Suppose I should get going then? Or shall I get us breakfast?"

At least she knew not to get too comfortable. "No time, sorry, baby – I have stuff to do today." I didn't bother promising to call her again; we both knew I might very well not. I preferred the thrill of the new and some variety; I didn't see why I should get stuck with the same girl more than once when I could have my pick of them. Besides, they were generally nothing special anyway.

Once Lila had dressed and left, I showered then picked out what to wear myself: black jeans, white T-shirt and a black leather jacket. I had a quick glance in the mirror – shaving could wait another day, and there was no use trying to tame my hair with a comb when it was determined to do its own thing. I grabbed my sunglasses and a bar of Cadbury's milk chocolate on the way out; it would do until I got to eat a proper breakfast.

My black taxi pulled up in front of the well-known studio on Hackney Road. I paid the cab driver, leaving a generous tip. I used to get the Tube, but now I needed more privacy and had the money for taxis. London was too congested to think of driving myself.

Emmett and Jake were there already. The session went quite well – we went through some of my ideas of lyrics for new songs, and rehearsed other material for the next gig. By the time we were finished, we'd worked up an appetite so we all got breakfast at the studio café. I had the full English: bacon, sausages, fried egg, hash browns, tomatoes, baked beans and toast. I sipped at a mug of strong tea in between mouthfuls of food.

"So, Eddie, was there a girl last night?" Emmett asked. He seemed to have an added interest in my love life now he was married. Living vicariously, I supposed.

"There's _always_ a girl," Jake said – a little judgementally seeing as much the same could be said of him.

"Yeah... a hot blonde girl. She came back to mine. She was... very willing."

"As every Cullen Cutie is required to be." This was Emmett's nickname for my groupies. "Along with requirements to dress slutty and be bendy," he sniggered.

"Any plans tonight? If not, we could go for a drink," Jake asked.

"Sorry, Rose wants us to stay in tonight," Emmett replied.

"Edward?"

"Not sure, I'll ring you later if I'm up for it," I said.

"OK, cool, maybe see you later."

I left the studio and flagged down another cab, this time to The Coffee Place in Camden Town. I'd Googled it earlier to find out the address. Eventually the taxi got through the traffic and arrived. The café looked small from outside, tucked in between a Japanese restaurant and a cycle shop. There were tables outside but only the smokers were sitting there, as it was still a bit cold at this time of year. It looked cosy inside, with homely-looking, mismatched sofas and armchairs. The customers were mostly in their twenties or teens.

Shades safely on to try to avoid being recognised, I entered the café and waited in the queue. Bella was there! She was one of two girls behind the counter. She was dressed down compared to yesterday, with a sexy white blouse and black trousers, minimal make-up, and her long dark-brown hair tied back.

"Hi, what can I get you?" she asked. So she was American. I wasn't sure yet if she'd realised it was me.

"A tea with milk please," I said. I never drank coffee.

"Anything to eat?"

"Could I get a cheese and ham panini?" I wasn't actually all that hungry after the big breakfast, but thought maybe hot food would entail her coming over to my table so that we could talk again.

"If you grab a seat, I can bring those over for you when they're ready."

As promised, she came over to me shortly with the panini and tea. "Here you go."

"Thanks, love," I said smoothly, removing my shades and smiling.

"Edward Cullen? I thought it was you. I didn't know you came to little coffee shops like ours, isn't this sort of slumming it for someone like you? And anyway, who comes to somewhere called The Coffee Place on his own to get just a tea?"

I quirked an eyebrow at this. "I happen to like tea better." I also liked looking at her in that tight top.

"Anyway, aren't rockstars generally meant to go for something a little harder than caffeine?"

"What, you mean the sex, drugs and rock and roll? I'm not into drugs, no... well only if you count alcohol." _I may have told the music press otherwise to keep things interesting... _"Playing a gig brings out enough endorphins already. Of course, sex will do that too," I smirked.

She blushed pink when she spoke again. She seemed to be rushing to get the words out. "Anyway, excuse me. I have to get back to work. It was nice chatting with you." She gave the impression that it was anything but.

In her apparent haste to get away from me, she tripped over the table leg – and fell right into my lap! Her clumsiness was endearing. My cock started to harden after having her slim, warm body so close to it. Hopefully, she hadn't noticed. Sad to have to remove her from this position, I reached out a hand to help her up. She righted herself and was about to walk off.

"Wait, Bella, will you come out for dinner with me tonight?" I asked on impulse, despite the signals I was getting from her.

"I can't, I'm busy. And how do you even know my name?"

"I'm nothing if not observant," I said, pointing at her name tag, though of course I'd known already.

"Oh," she said, looking down at it, annoyed.

"Another night then?" I wasn't going to give up so easily.

"Look, won't you get the message? I'm not interested in dinner with you." Her body language was making this very clear: brown eyes flashing, hands on hips and even a little stomp of the foot. She looked even prettier when she was angry.

"Well, can I see you again here? I only want to talk some more," I said carefully.

"I guess that's your choice; it's a free country. I have to go now."

It looked like a group of teenage girls at another table had spotted me. They were pointing excitedly in our direction and one of them was holding her camera phone up. In fact, she'd probably caught the whole awkward exchange on video – culminating with a waitress falling into Edward Cullen's lap. I hoped for Bella's sake it wouldn't be all over the Net by tonight. Maybe signing some autographs would keep them on my side.

I went to the café most days after that, hoping to see Bella again. But much to my disappointment, she wasn't there. I didn't spend long each time, as my presence was starting to attract too much attention. Fans were OK – it was the paparazzi I wanted to avoid. I didn't mind being in the papers when I had something to promote, but being followed around in my own time was more intrusive.

I was still keen to see her again. I found her awkwardness endearing; it showed a weakness that she tried to cover up with sarcasm. I remembered the brief moment she'd been in my lap with a rush of lust, and longed to get her back in that position – on my terms, preferably naked. On Thursday, I finally asked another member of staff and found out that Bella only worked there on weekends.

So on Saturday afternoon, after a rehearsal at the studios with the band, I went back to The Coffee Place. Bella was there, as I'd hoped. I took a seat at a table where I could watch her for a minute. There was a blond boy with her behind the counter. They seemed to be getting on awfully well, laughing and seeming relaxed in each other's presence. He seemed to be making excuses to touch her: appearing to find something on her cheek to brush off with his fingers, or putting a hand on her shoulder. I felt a weird, unfamiliar sensation inside me when he did that – like indignation? No, maybe jealousy. _It should be me touching her, not him, _I thought. _What could she possibly see in him? Was he her boyfriend?_

The resentment and jealousy started simmering to a point where I couldn't control it any longer. I got up from my seat and strode angrily towards the two of them. "Get away from her!" I yelled. They looked bemused, but reacted too slowly to move away before I could punch the boy, right in his self-satisfied face. Then I put my hands on the counter-top and swung myself up over it, grabbed Bella by her ponytail and kissed her passionately. She didn't resist.

"Can I get you something to drink, Sir?" One of the café staff had appeared at my table, forcing me back to the real world. I shook my head, got up and walked out of the café. I had to get out of there before the daydreams took over and made me do something for real. _What was this girl doing to me?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to all of you reading. Big love also goes out to PTB and their betas****!**

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><p>-Bella-<p>

Nearly the whole of the Sunday afternoon shift at the café had passed with no sign of Edward. I really tried to focus on the job and not to keep checking for him amongst the customers, but I couldn't seem to help it. After our meeting the previous day, I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised if he didn't return. I'd been pretty rude to him. He pushed all my buttons though; he got me so worked up and annoyed just by being there. I couldn't believe I'd probably massaged his ego some more by acting like a starstruck kid and then falling into his crotch. Even at the best of times, I was a bit on the clumsy side, but he wasn't to know that... he'd think it was all his own doing. Why couldn't I have managed to stay cool and calm with him?

I had to remind myself that it didn't matter what he thought of me – I wasn't interested in getting involved with someone like him. Yes... he was hot, but I would end up becoming just another notch on his bedpost and possibly getting my heart trampled on. Putting him off me was the right thing to do, however I achieved it. But our encounter kept on playing over and over in my head. I looked down, sighing; I think I'd been wiping the hell out of the same spot of table for at least five minutes. Wonderful! Thanks to him, I now couldn't even manage a simple task. At least the shift was almost finished.

When I got home, I fixed myself a quick bowl of fresh pasta and a large glass of red wine... something to calm my nerves, and hopefully dull my thoughts of him. Whilst I was eating at the kitchen table, Alice came in.

"Bella!" she said looking concerned. "What's wrong? Drinking on a school night?"

"It was just a shitty day at work, and I've got a lot on my mind." I didn't want to tell Alice about Edward. I hadn't quite sorted out my thoughts about him yet, and for some reason, I suspected her view would be strongly in his favour. Anyway, maybe I'd never see him again. I'd given him no reason to return. "How was your day, though?" Alice would've been out clothes shopping most likely. She didn't have a job, as her parents had plenty of money, so she didn't need the cash like I did.

"Oh mine was fine, don't worry about me. Now, how about we watch True Blood and eat ice cream?"

"How about Jasper, should we get him?"

"No... I think he's planning to Skype his parents."

We grabbed the tub of ice cream and 2 spoons before sprawling out with it on the couch in front of the TV. The dual distractions of Eric Northman and half a tub of cookie dough ice cream soon had me feeling more relaxed. I slept well that night, thankful for Nordic vampires and sugar.

I barely thought of Edward for the rest of the week. I had lectures to attend and an essay to write - on the portrayal of women in Shakespeare's plays - so I was kept busy. The weather was grey and rainy, so I mostly stayed in when I wasn't going to class.

The next Sunday afternoon, I got off the red, double-decker London bus and walked round the corner to get to work, only to be greeted by Edward! Not in person, but in the form of a larger-than-life representation of him on a billboard advertising Monster tour dates for next month. The rest of the band was in the background. He was pictured on-stage, jumping in the air whilst playing guitar, his face apparently rapt in concentration. My eyes darted to his copper-brown sex hair. His arms were quite well-defined, though not overly so. Most delicious of all, I noticed that his top was riding up, showing the V-shaped crease of his lower abs. So much for forgetting about him.

I arrived at work, cursing a bit under my breath. Mike Newton was there today; he was fun to work with, so my mood gradually started to improve again. We discussed how our weeks had gone and joked around. Mike was cool but a bit goofy. I think he fancied me, but hopefully he realised it wasn't mutual – I just saw him as a good friend. I don't think I'd ever led him on but didn't want to hurt his feelings by bringing it up. Or in case I'd gotten it wrong.

The café was pretty busy. After an hour or so, Mike nodded his head towards someone.

"What's up with that guy? Did someone put chilli in his drink or something?"

I looked over and saw him: Edward Cullen, in the flesh. He looked different; his features were set in a furious scowl. His eyes were glaring in our direction. What was his problem? I didn't know what I could have done to upset him. I wondered whether I should act like I hadn't seen him, or go over to him. Then Angela appeared at his table to take his order, but he shook his head, got up and strode out of the premises.

That was the first night I dreamed of Edward Cullen. I was in The Coffee Place again, but Monster was playing a live set there. A large crowd was gathered to watch them, including me. The girls were screaming "Edward!" in between the songs. This made him grin shyly. He seemed surprised by all the attention. This Edward was sweeter and less arrogant than I'd remembered.

"Er... thank you." He ran his fingers through his hair and licked his lips. He started strumming his acoustic guitar again gently. "This next song's dedicated to someone special. Her name is..."

"...Bella. Bella!" That didn't sound like his voice... too squeaky.

"Bella, time to get up! We're going to be late." Nope, it was Alice, I realised, opening my eyes to see her peering round the bedroom door. Damn it! I wanted to see the rest of that dream. I looked over at the digital clock. 7:35 a.m. No time to go back to sleep – we had a lecture at 9:00. I reluctantly dragged myself up out of bed, went for a quick shower and got dressed.

When I got into the kitchen, Alice and Jasper had already eaten breakfast. I could smell fresh coffee. Jasper handed me a steaming cup. "Morning, Bella," he said in his Southern twang.

"Morning, thanks." I took it gratefully. I ate a couple slices of buttered toast and grabbed my bag. We headed out the door. It was a short walk to the tube station.

"I didn't think you'd ever get up! You were moaning in your sleep. Were you having an interesting dream?" Alice asked as we walked along. She was hand in hand with Jasper.

"You could say that." I slowed my pace a bit to fall behind them, willing her to change the subject and not probe any more. No such luck. She let go of Jasper's hand and bounded over to join me.

"What was it about?" Alice pushed.

"You've got us wondering now, Bella." Jasper added.

"Um... about Edward Cullen, actually," I admitted, rolling my eyes. The guy was now turning up in my dreams as well as where I worked.

"Really?" Alice pounced on this information. "You haven't mentioned him - er, I mean Monster – since we saw the gig."

We turned the corner and picked up our pace a bit. It was starting to drizzle with rain.

"He came into the café the day after that; I'm still wondering how he found out where to find me." At this Jasper smiled. "He actually tried to ask me out! But I managed to send him packing."

"And now you're dreaming about him? Dreams always symbolise something, you know. Maybe you feel more for him than you think you do." Alice was ever the optimist.

I snorted. "I don't know. I hope not, 'cause he seems like a douche. He came to the café again this weekend but just stared at me and went out again without saying anything. Bit stalker-ish, don't you think?"

"You should give him a chance. Maybe he didn't know what to say the second time... you can be kind of unapproachable. But he obviously really likes you if he came to find you_ twice_."

"I'd say so," Jasper agreed.

We got our Oyster cards out and walked down the steps to the tube station. Edward Cullen really liked me? I turned that possibility over in my head for the whole journey, as I pictured his too-perfect face.

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><p><strong>Reviews are better than Edward's top riding up as he plays guitar.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to my betas, NinaQ and TDS88, who helped me clean this up and improve it. They're gradually teaching me not to hate commas so much. ;)**

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><p>-Edward-<p>

As I left the café, my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest. I'd hoped to try to get chatting with Bella again, but I hadn't bargained on seeing her flirting with another guy. I hadn't experienced such intense jealousy in a long time, and it had shocked me to feel so strongly about a girl I barely knew. I'd had to get out of there fast, before I took my anger out on them both.

I walked down the street, not really looking or caring where I was going – I was so wrapped up in my thoughts. I bumped into several people without apologising, earning me a few angry stares.

As a rock star, I could have just about any girl I wanted. And yet, I had managed to become obsessed with one who wasn't interested! She seemed to have awoken a new passion in me. Talking of passion... my mind flashed back to our kiss. Well, Okay... technically it had only been a figment of my imagination, but a very vivid one. The memory felt real enough. I'd claimed her mouth as my territory, kissing her insistently - almost violently - not caring who saw. Remembering it now was turning me on. I groaned inwardly; I was hooked. I knew I had to see more of her - had to kiss her for real. How could I get her to give me a chance?

I got out my iPhone and called Emmett. Maybe he or Jake would have some ideas. I didn't usually have to go to them for advice on women, but it had been a long time since I'd cared this much about one, and I couldn't go on like this. I arranged to meet them for a drink later on.

That evening, we met at a flashy club. In the last year or two, it had become one of our regular haunts because they catered to people in the public eye better than a local pub could. We were escorted by a bouncer to a roped VIP area upstairs where we could chill out in comfortable privacy. The seats were white leather benches, curving around glass tables. Multiple spotlights in the ceiling lit the area. A dark haired waitress took our drinks order and quickly brought it over on a tray: a Jack Daniels and coke for me, a beer for Emmett, and a vodka and tonic for Jake. I eagerly took a swig from mine.

"You said you wanted to talk about something. So what's up, Eddie?" I rather disliked Emmett calling me this, but nothing I said ever seemed to stop him. Actually, I think he did it to annoy me. Maybe I should call him Emmie next time. Anyway... to more pressing matters.

"I kind of wanted some advice. There was this girl at the gig last week... I've seen her a couple of times since, and I think I really like her, but she doesn't seem to want to know me."

"News flash: Edward Cullen sees a girl more than once!" Jake said, running his hand through the air, pretending to write a newspaper headline.

"Yeah yeah, funny." His reaction was nothing I wasn't expecting. "Anyway they weren't even dates... I went to see her at the café where she works. And I think she might have a boyfriend already."

"Did you just happen to go to this café, or did you know she worked there? 'Cause it might've looked a bit creepy you turning up there multiple times. You've only just met. You might've scared her off." Emmett had a point.

"I knew... her friend told me after the gig where she worked so that I could see her again. I thought that meant that she must be single. But then I saw her with this weedy guy – they looked like a couple. Now I'm sort of going crazy thinking about it. I can't get her out of my head."

"Well, well. Edward Cullen's got it bad for a waitress," Jake teased. But it was true.

"I really do." I sighed, putting my head in my hands.

"What's she like? Hot?" Jake asked.

"Yes, very. Her name's Bella. I'm not sure how old she is; I'd guess early twenties. She's gorgeous, skinny, a brunette..." I was picturing her as I spoke. That long dark hair, those pouting pink lips, her slight but womanly figure, and pale skin. "...and she's American. She was incredibly sarcastic when I spoke to her and not at all interested. She said no when I asked her to dinner and seemed in a hurry to leave. Maybe that's because she has a boyfriend though?" I said, with false hope. I'd got the distinct impression that she actively disliked me, so I didn't think my chances were too good.

"Can you talk to her some more?" Emmett asked.

"Or send her flowers? Women like that shit," Jake said.

"Hmm... maybe, as long as that doesn't weird her out – think I've already made myself look like a stalker. Also, her boyfriend might not too pleased," I said, lifting my head and pinching the bridge of my nose. I actually felt physical pain at saying the word 'boyfriend'.

"Maybe we can pick up some girls tonight and take your mind off her," Jake suggested.

"I don't think I actually want to sleep with another woman, not till I can talk to Bella again." As the words came out of my mouth I cursed myself for being too honest. Lame, I sounded like a girl now.

They were laughing.

Emmett gave me a crushing bear hug. "Man, I think it's great that you've found someone you like so much."

I had decided to go and see her again. I didn't have much to lose. The other waitress I recognised gave me a smile as I came in. I was fast becoming a regular; I suppose having a star customer didn't do their business any harm. I took a place in the long queue and prepared to wait, but she pointed to a table and told me to take a seat and someone would be with me soon.

After a few minutes, I was rewarded with the sweet sight of Bella.

"Hello again, Edward." She seemed in a better mood. Less like she was going to bite my head off. "What can I get you today?"

"A large tea, please. And... Bella?"

"Yes?"

"I wanted to apologise if I seemed rude the last time I came in."

"Yeah... you did, actually. You looked so angry, and you left without speaking to me. Did I do something to upset you?"

I had acted like a dick and she thought it was her fault. "It wasn't you. It's stupid... but I was jealous of the other guy you were with," I mumbled, feeling kind of sheepish.

"Jealous?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Is he your boyfriend?" I probably had no right to be asking, but I had to know.

"What?" She looked confused, then it dawned on her. "Oh... you mean Mike? No way! He's just a good friend. Did we really look like boyfriend and girlfriend to you then? What made you think that?" She was laughing.

"Well I dunno... you just looked really intimate together," I said, defensively. But relief was washing over me, and I couldn't help but feel excited at the thought I might have a chance with Bella, after all!

"Maybe you couldn't get your head around why I wouldn't go out with you otherwise?"

Did I really seem that cocky? Maybe I needed to try a different approach and ease off, prove that there was more to me than what she'd seen so far. I worked to keep my voice soft and calm, and not give away how strongly I felt. "I'm sorry. I've been too pushy. I'd like it if we could at least be friends?"

She smiled.

"Yeah, we can give it a try. But just for your information – I'm single."

I did an air punch but then tried to change the gesture into touching my hair, embarrassed at how happy that made me. Luckily, she'd started walking to the kitchen so probably didn't see.

She came back with a tray carrying a pot of tea, cup and saucer and milk jug, which she set in front of me with a smile.

"Here you go, enjoy!"

"Thanks. I was thinking... have you been here long – in England, I mean? Maybe I could show you some of the sights?"

"Well, I'm here as a student. I started last fall, but I've been pretty busy with the course, so I haven't seen much of the UK. Only the odd day trip, so that would be nice actually. Look, I can't stand around chatting for too long. But if you come and grab me before you leave, I'll give you my number. Maybe that way, you can stop turning up at my work all the time."

"OK, it's a deal," I said, crossing my arms and grinning.

I could do this. I could be 'just friends', at least for now. It had to be an improvement on her hating my guts.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading. All the reviews and alerts mean a lot. :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is a special Queen's Jubilee chapter to coincide with events happening now in the UK. Hope everyone else here is having a good double bank holiday! And to all of you reading - thank you, and I hope you enjoy it. :) Thanks to PTB, TDS88 and Nina Q for beta-ing the chapter and especially for helping get it done in time for me to post it today.**

**Forgot to add: check out the new story banner by Allymals over at Twilighted! (see link in my profile).**

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><p>-Bella-<p>

"Expecting a call, Bella?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow. "This must be the tenth time I've seen you checking your cell this morning,"

She was right; I was acting like a lovesick teenager. I blushed and put the phone down.

"Er... yeah. Just arranging to meet up with someone from class." I didn't want to tell her who I was really hoping to hear from, in case of jinxing it. Luckily, I didn't have to wait too long; Edward texted me that afternoon. I think I was bouncing in my chair with excitement as I opened the message.

**Hi Bella, it's Edward. Ur local tour guide. :) R u free to meet up soon? Where would be good? We can decide what UK sights to see.**

Hmm... where to meet? More importantly – when? I wanted to suggest as soon as possible; it would be nice to see him outside of my workplace, so I could really be myself. Seeing as I couldn't get him out of my head recently, I had decided to give him more of a chance. Also, he had been sweet and apologetic the last time I'd seen him. Judging him solely by his public profile was probably unfair. Maybe Alice was right and he really liked me. If I'd been just another girl on his long list, he wouldn't have kept coming back to see me – would he? But I didn't want to look too keen. Guess I should wait a bit before texting back.

I mulled over possible places to go during my day of lectures. My mind kept drifting to these thoughts when I should've been concentrating on Chaucer. I wondered where he might take me sight-seeing. It'd be nice to be shown around by a Brit. My only attempts at being a tourist so far consisted of visits to the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace. Silly really – before coming here, I'd longed to visit London and had plans to get round all the attractions. But somehow, that hadn't materialised when I had studying and a job to contend with.

Gradually, my initial excitement at hearing from him was replaced by mild nerves at the thought of some alone-time with famous and confident Edward Cullen, rock star. At least he wasn't thinking this was a date. Er, wait – was that actually a good thing? Maybe I wanted it to be a date. Still, I guessed it was safest to take things slowly – that is, if my hormones could take it.

I grabbed my cell and typed out a reply before I could change my mind.

**Can you make lunch tomorrow? The Glass House pub at 1pm, it's in Chalk Farm.**

The Glass House was a pub quite near the university that served good food, at prices to suit my student budget. I didn't want to pick anywhere too fancy as this would just get me nervous and out of my comfort zone – better somewhere familiar and friendly.

What do you wear to a lunch date - that isn't really a date - with a world-famous singer? I changed a couple of times, and eventually settled on a pair of blue skinny jeans with a green tank top and black and white Converse. I ruled out anything too dressy (it didn't fit the venue) or my band T-shirts (seemed like I was trying too hard). I kept my hair down and simple.

I walked into the pub, and saw Edward waving. He was there early. He'd chosen a table with two comfy-looking couches, a bit past the bar. He looked good, wearing dark, scuffed jeans, a grey V neck T-shirt and black Doc Martin boots. His bronze hair was even more chaotic than usual, with long strands going in every direction.

"You found the place okay, then?" I said, trying to sound more relaxed than I was feeling, and took a seat on the second couch, opposite his.

"Yeah, thanks," he said, leaning in towards me, close enough for me to study his khaki-green eyes and those luscious lips. "How are you? Can I get you a drink?"

I had to pull my eyes away. "I'm okay. I'll have a coke, thank you."

He came back with the drinks – his was a pint of beer. After a little while looking at the menu, we ordered food. He ordered a steak, while I got a burger and fries. My appetite wasn't great anyway, what with the nerves, but I think I was doing an okay job of covering them up so far. No falling over, as yet.

We chatted a bit as we ate, and I started to feel more at ease.

"Were you born in London, Edward?"

"Yes, Laandan born and bred, can't you tell?" he said, grinning. The one Cockney-style word stood out from the rest; he didn't have a strong accent. "How about you, where are you from?"

"Washington state, near the coast."

"And what are you studying here?"

"English Lit. I've always enjoyed reading," I said, wondering if he'd think this was boring.

"That's cool. Are you enjoying it?"

"Yeah, I am." I nodded. "Although I've got exams next month, so that's a little scary."

"I wonder sometimes what uni would've been like, but the band was just taking off when I finished school so I didn't apply." He looked thoughtful.

"You enjoy being in the band though, right?"

"Yes, definitely... it's amazing! I get to travel the world, and I earn money for what I love doing, playing music. I get on with Jake and Emmett really well, so it's fun. Hard work sometimes, but fun!"

It was nice seeing how passionate he was about the band.

He took a sip of his beer. "Are you busy on Tuesday? It's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, so there's lots of stuff going on in London – it might be fun." He looked uncertain as he waited for my response.

"That sounds great! So, where are we going?"

His face lit up with a crooked smile at my enthusiastic reply. "I think there's a street party, and a ceremonial parade."

"What's the Jubilee for?" I asked.

"It's celebrating 60 years of the Queen being on the throne."

"Oh right. Wow, that's a long time!"

"Mmm. I was thinking... maybe your friends could come along too? I'd like to meet them." He was leaning in closer.

"That would be nice – I'll ask them." I'd probably be more confident with Alice and Jasper there for moral support, plus they might enjoy the festivities too. I wondered if Jake and Emmett would want to come, but he hadn't mentioned them, so I didn't bring it up. The whole of Monster being there would probably be a bit too surreal for me.

I had to work that weekend – the café was extra busy with Jubilee tourists and people starting their extended bank holiday weekend. The holiday atmosphere was contagious. I didn't mind too much having to work, but was looking forward to seeing some of the celebrations for myself, and doing that with Edward would be a bonus.

At last, Tuesday came; it was a bright, sunny day. I put on summery denim shorts and a T-shirt. Alice and Jasper had agreed to come. Alice was wearing a red and white mini dress with blue belt, heels and earrings. I whistled in mock admiration, and she did a twirl.

"Oh... it's Union Jack colours, I get it." I smiled. "I didn't think of that." Jasper was wearing a dark shirt and trousers, which made a contrast to his blonde curls – the little Pixie hadn't succeeded in working her magic on him, then.

The four of us met up, as agreed, in front of a Piccadilly hotel at 12 noon. The road was closed to traffic, so we had to walk from a nearby bus stop to get there. I introduced Edward to Jasper and Alice, and they shook hands. He made friendly conversation, asking what they were studying and how long they'd known me. It was nice that he seemed genuinely interested in them.

As we walked round the corner, I saw that a long line of tables stretched the entire street. They were covered with white tablecloths and were decorated with Union Jack bunting and balloons, and laden with food. People of all ages were sitting in plastic chairs along both sides – there must have been hundreds of them! Most were dressed in red, white and blue – a few with Union Jack hats on, even one or two with cardboard facemasks of the Queen with holes for eyes, and a plastic crown or even a headscarf! This was certainly a new experience for me.

Edward found us four chairs in a row and pulled out one for me, before sitting down himself. Alice and Jasper were to my left, and he was on my right.

"I hope no one minds that we're American," I said to Edward.

"Don't worry, everyone's welcome – it's just a good excuse for a party!" He handed us some plastic Union Jack bowler hats to put on.

"Oh, very stylish," he said, amused, when I put mine on. His own was large enough to fit despite the big hair.

"Now I feel like an honorary Brit for the day, thanks!" I said.

I think we all blended into the crowd and felt a part of things; people seemed too focussed on the celebrations to notice the celebrity in their midst, and I think Edward liked it that way. We tucked into sausage rolls, pork pies and crisps, followed by plenty of cake. Everyone around us was laughing and enjoying themselves. There were all sorts of events going on nearby, including circus performers walking past at one point – some juggling, some on stilts. Someone had a loud radio on with the BBC commentary covering the Queen's procession. A military band could be heard in the background, playing patriotic music.

"And now the Queen's carriage is being driven past Whitehall, followed closely behind by the Duchess of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales in their glass coach. Her Majesty is waving, and you can hear the resulting cheers from the crowd! The procession has just made the turning onto the Mall leading up to Buckingham Palace..."

Minutes later, there was a rumbling sound above. Edward pointed up, and Alice squealed. When I looked up, nine Red Arrow planes plastered the sky in streams of red, white and blue smoke as they flew out in different directions, originating from a single spot. Then they got back into a V formation, flew like that for a minute or two and then all did a stunning loop the loop. Everyone on the street cheered and clapped.

"Wow, that was so cool!" Jasper said, echoing my own thoughts.

Eventually, the street party started being packed up by the organisers, and we left reluctantly.

"How about going for a couple of drinks?" Edward asked, so we found a local pub.

"So, what did you all think? Did you enjoy the street party?" Edward asked, once we'd bought our drinks.

"The red arrows were the best part, I loved the display. The food was good too." Jasper said.

"It's nice seeing people kick back and have a good time, I thought you were all supposed to be so reserved!" Alice said.

"What about you, Bella?" he asked, making eye contact.

"It was really fun, definitely worth going – I'm glad I've seen something like that while I'm in the UK."

"Hope you don't mind that we didn't go and see the Queen for ourselves."

"No, that's okay. I think this was more fun – we probably would've had to wait ages just to see her for a few minutes," I said.

"Yeah, that was my worry, and there was a great atmosphere at the street party, probably better than standing in a crowd," Edward agreed.

After an hour or so, I drank the last of my beer and stood up.

"I should probably go now. I shouldn't stay out too late – I need to do some cramming for my exams. Thanks for today, Edward, I enjoyed it!"

"Yeah, same here – thanks!" Alice added, getting up as well.

"No problem," Edward said, smiling.

"It was nice to meet you, man," Jasper said. "Come on, Alice." They edged away a bit to give Edward and me a moment alone.

"So Bella... want to meet up again soon? Or do I have to wait until after your exams?"

I tucked a stray wisp of hair behind my ear. "No, I need the odd study break. I could see you Friday, if you like?"

"Okay, Friday it is then. I'm looking forward to it. Want me to walk you home?"

I smiled, this was sweet of him. "No, that's not necessary, I have these two to go with – thank you, though. Bye, Edward."

"Bye, see you soon."

It didn't feel appropriate to hug, though I badly wanted to touch him. I felt like I'd gotten to see more of the real Edward today. I was glad that Alice and Jasper seemed to like him too. I went over to Alice and linked arms with her, looking back to watch him leave.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you for reading. See you next time. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to my talented PTB betas NinaQ and TDS88, I couldn't have done this without them. :) I've made a few additions, so any remaining mistakes are my own.**

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><p>-Edward-<p>

I had my driver stop the silver Volvo in front of Bella's house in Camden Town, and I got out of the back seat. She had texted me the address yesterday. It looked all right for a student place – small maybe, but not too shabby looking from the outside.

I knocked on the front door. Within a minute, a smiling Alice answered.

"Hello, Edward. I'll get Bella," she said, and went inside for a moment. Then Bella appeared, looking fucking sexy in something blue and low cut.

"Hi, um..." I said, struggling to keep my eyes off her chest and grasping for words.

"Ready to go?" Bella asked, shooting me an amused look.

I managed to recover my powers of speech. "Er, yeah. I've got a few things planned for us today."

"Oh really? Where are we going?" she said, closing the front door behind her.

"You'll just have to wait and see." I put my hand gently on the small of her back to direct her to the car, trying not to be distracted by the shape of her bum in those clingy jeans. I opened the car door for her to get in, before walking round to the other side.

"You have a driver?" she asked, once I was inside. She seemed shocked.

"Yeah... I can drive but I normally don't, not in London, and I prefer not to get the Tube – it can get a bit crazy, I'm sure you understand." Being followed round by desperate members of the paparazzi clutching their flash cameras and long lenses was not my idea of fun.

The driver pulled away silently to take us to our first destination – I had already given him instructions.

Bella giggled as its identity became clear – Madame Tussauds. My driver spoke to one of the staff, and we went in through a different entrance to skip the queues. We walked through a room of royal family members being snapped by tourists, then another of world leaders in their suits. Then we were in Hollywood – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise and George Clooney, all in evening wear on a red carpet. Bella seemed a bit too excited by the sight of Johnny Depp for my liking. Next, we got to a room of musicians. Michael Jackson, Madonna... then Bella ran over to me. Well, me in waxwork form, wearing a leather jacket and with a microphone in my - its? - hand. It currently had Bella's arm around its shoulder as she studied its familiar features, laughing.

"It's actually a pretty good likeness, apart from the eyes – they look kind of dead," she said.

I hadn't seen it before – and it was a bit freaky, to be honest. Models of Jake and Emmett were standing behind me/it. Bella moved to take a photo on her phone of me standing beside the waxwork versions of me and the band. I must've looked pretty baffled.

Predictably, a small crowd of screaming teenage girls had appeared. I posed for a minute or two longer as some of them took photos too, and even signed a few autographs, then grabbed Bella's arm so we could move on to somewhere else.

After a few more rooms, we had seen most of the place.

"That's enough of this. I've got somewhere nice booked for lunch, you hungry?" I asked.

"Yeah, sounds good," she said.

We went back to the car, and asked the driver to take us to lunch. I had picked a Babylonian restaurant called Anshar that I'd been to a couple of times before. The name was in an Eastern style script in gold letters, surrounded by stars and a moon. The front of the building was covered in elaborately carved wood.

I hoped Bella would find it impressive. She was looking all around, taking it in. Inside, up some stairs, we walked through the main room, which had more carved wood on the walls, but also stone sculptures. There were tall palm trees in between the tables. The place glowed from softly lit red lamps, and the ceiling was tiled in blue and orange. A waiter guided us over to a line of three large empty booths, each surrounded by a canopy of red silk hanging down from the ceiling that always reminded me of a four poster bed. We were seated at a table in one of these.

"What is Babylonian food like, then?" Bella asked.

"What they do is more Turkish-style, really. It's very good though," I replied.

We ordered a set meal of mezze (stuffed vine leaves, salad and feta cheese) followed by mixed grilled meats with rice, and finally sticky Baklawa sweets for dessert. We had a little white wine too. As I'd expected, it was all delicious, and in a class of its own compared to other Turkish food I had eaten. Bella seemed to be enjoying it too.

I didn't want to have to leave yet. Bella looked so beautiful; I had an overwhelming desire to kiss her. This wasn't the first time – previously I'd always managed to stop myself, knowing that I had promised we could just be friends. But this time, the setting just seemed right, and I decided it was a risk worth taking. Maybe the buzz of the wine had given me courage.

I leaned towards her slowly, putting a hand on her cheek. She didn't flinch, just stared into my eyes, so I carried on moving until my lips met hers in a kiss: gentle and sweet at first, becoming more demanding and passionate. I had been longing for this moment for so long. From the looks of things, so had she.

"Sorry, Bella... I didn't mean..." I started to say afterwards, just to make sure I hadn't pushed her into anything.

"No, that's okay. I wanted to," she said quietly but insistently, blushing slightly, making her already flushed face go pinker.

"God, Bella, you have no idea how happy you've just made me." I took her hand in mine across the table, and I couldn't stop smiling. My jaw even started hurting.

Finally, we were ready to pay, and the waiter brought the bill over to me. Bella opened her purse and tried to take a look at the bill, but I batted her hand away.

"Hey, no need! I'll pay – I'm not sure you can afford it here, and this place was my idea."

"Hmm... okay then, but you'd better let me pay for something else instead," she said. Most girls just expected me to pay for everything and never even offered. It was nice that she wanted to, though I'd only be letting her pay for something smaller. She should be saving her money for university.

Next, we went to the London Eye, on the banks of the Thames. Bella paid, true to her word. Once we were safely in our private pod, the wheel glided slowly upwards, giving us panoramic views across London. It was a clear day, so we could see for miles. I pointed out some of the landmarks: the Houses of Parliament and St Paul's Cathedral with its grand dome. We sat close together and kissed a couple more times. It was almost like a date, though I hadn't known how fitting the location would be when I'd made plans for today.

"Thank you for coming, Bella," I said once the ride was over. "Shall I get the driver to drop you off at home now? It's on the way to my flat."

"No, actually I'd like to come back to yours – if that would be okay with you." Her soulful brown eyes looked up at me meaningfully, and she put her hand on my arm.

Really? Wow. This was more than I had hoped for. "That would be more than okay," I said, my voice coming out husky. I brushed her cheek gently with my thumb, half expecting to be able to feel the heat from the blush that had spread over it.

We arrived at my penthouse flat in Primrose Hill. I thanked the driver, and we got out. There was no need to pay him on the spot, as that would be settled later on my account. There was a shared entrance lobby to the group of luxury flats, with entry by a swipe card. The Concierge gave us a nod. I got my keys out to let us in once we got to my door.

We went inside, taking our shoes off as we entered. I showed Bella into the lounge, and she took a seat on one of the two white leather sofas.

"Would you like a drink?" I asked.

"Yeah, a coffee please."

"How do you take it?"

"White, with one sugar – thanks."

I made it using the coffee machine (I had one just for guests) and a cup of tea for myself.

"It makes a change to have someone else making the coffee!" she said, as I handed her the cup.

"It must do." I smiled. "I hope you like it," I said, sitting down beside her.

I felt a little awkward, not knowing where this was going. This was Bella we were talking about; I couldn't just jump into bed with her like I did with other girls, much as I wanted to. I valued her too much to risk messing things up by rushing ahead of myself. Well, not unless I was very clear she wanted that.

"Mmm, it _is_ good coffee," she said after sipping at it.

"I'm glad."

"It's a nice place you've got," she said, looking around at the modern white and cream surroundings. There was a window from floor to ceiling on one side, letting lots of sunlight in. I had several large black and white prints on the wall, showing some of the foreign cities I had visited on tour.

"Thanks, yeah I like it. Gets a bit lonely sometimes, though," I admitted.

She moved a little closer and took my hand, giving it a squeeze.

"It must be nice living with your friends," I said, putting my arm around her.

"Yeah, Alice and Jasper are cool, so it's good fun. Haven't you ever shared a house before?"

"Well, I did with Jake and Emmett for a few months when we first started the band, but let's just say we saw each other a little _too_ much for that to work out. I think the band probably would've split up if I'd stayed there!"

"Why, didn't you get on?"

"It wasn't really that, I just needed my own space. We were around each other all the time so it was a bit too much. It took a while before I could afford somewhere as nice as this though. I stayed in some grotty places, believe me. I worked in a pub so I could pay the rent."

"I can't imagine you as a bartender."

I laughed. "It wasn't so bad... but I had faith that one day we'd get signed, and I could quit."

She put her cup down, finished with her drink.

"Let me know if you need to get going soon," I said, hoping she didn't but not wanting to keep her from her studying.

"I'm quite happy here, actually," Bella said, looking directly at me and putting a hand on my thigh. Once she started to move it upwards, I could no longer think straight.

She climbed on top of me with a mischievous glint in her eyes and started trailing gentle kisses down my neck and shoulder. Then she was pulling up my T-shirt and putting her warm hands all over my belly, rubbing and stroking me. She lifted my top up some more, so I helped her pull it off. She ran her hands over my shoulders and chest and grazed her fingertips over my hardening nipples. We kissed slowly. I reached to grab her waist. She was giving me a great view of her cleavage, and I could feel my erection growing, pushing uncomfortably against the crotch of my jeans. I pulled her close for a kiss.

"Should we go to the bedroom?" I asked, catching sight of the window. Bella might not appreciate the outside world seeing us if we were going to carry on this way. The mental image of that was hot, though.

"Okay," she said.

We both stood and I scooped her up in my arms. She was light enough to carry quite easily – only my hard-on made things a little more awkward, nudging into her side and making walking difficult. I managed to get us up the wooden stairs to the bedroom and dropped her down as carefully as I could onto the king-size bed. She giggled and sat up on the side of the bed, beside where I was standing.

"I think you could do with some help there," she said, eyes on my crotch. She reached for my belt and started unbuckling it, then unzipped my fly and put a hand inside my boxers.

"Fuck," I muttered. The feeling of her small hand on my cock was such a turn-on, and I was desperate for more. She stroked my lower back with her other hand, then slid her hand down and started to tug on my trousers. I was only too eager to assist and pulled them off, boxers too. I wasn't shy about my body, but I couldn't help but be aware she was still fully dressed – this was hardly fair.

"Too – many - clothes," I managed to grunt out and started reaching for her top. She obligingly took it off, revealing the lacy black bra I had been catching glimpses of all day.

"More," I said commandingly.

She bit her lip but stood up and slipped out of her tight jeans. Another scrap of black lace was underneath, the contrast stunning against her pale skin. She looked at me directly and took off her bra. I ran my eyes and then a hand over the gentle curves of her tits and hips, trying to take in every detail.

"Beautiful," I said. I guided her back onto the bed. She lay down on her back, and I climbed on top. I cupped her boobs, then lowered myself down her body until my head was level with her hips. I traced my fingers over her flesh, brushing her belly then bringing them lower, to the insides of her thighs, teasing her until she whimpered. I pulled down her knickers and chucked them on the floor. She was shaven bare – so sexy! I parted her thighs and began to lick her pussy, alternately lapping at her juices and circling her swollen clit with my tongue. Her moans began to build up, so I added a couple of fingers and pumped them inside her, curling them up to press on the right spot as I continued sucking and flicking with my tongue. I could tell she was getting close.

She screamed out, and I felt her tightening around me in waves of pleasure. I gave her one final kiss and lifted my head. After that, she was quiet and looked so content, eyes shut and a little smile on her face. I felt pride, knowing that was my doing.

I was also incredibly turned-on. She looked up after a minute or two and reached for my rock-hard cock, stroking it. She grabbed my hip and guided me towards her. I reached over to the bedside table drawer and pulled out a condom. I slipped it on quickly and lined myself up with her. I entered her with a moan – it felt fucking fantastic. With each thrust, I felt like I was slowly losing my mind and being taken over by pure instinct. Bella was writhing beneath me, and my movements got faster and harder. When I felt her coming again, this time with my cock inside her, I completely lost it and exploded in my own exquisite release.

As my heart gradually calmed down, she put her head on my chest and we lay like that for what seemed like hours.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry I've been a bit slow in updating. SMeyer still owns Twilight. Thanks again to my lovely, helpful betas: TDS88 and NinaQ. Thanks also to PTB.**

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><p>-Bella-<p>

I reluctantly passed up on Edward's offer to stay the night at his place, not having any of my stuff with me and also knowing that waking up next to him would probably not result in me getting much studying done the next day. I was in the middle of exam period, and I wanted to do well. He had seemed disappointed but was understanding. I'll call you, he promised and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

The next day, I woke up in my own bed. As I slowly came to consciousness, my first thoughts were memories of what had happened yesterday: me boldly climbing on top of Edward on the sofa, him telling me to take my clothes off, me standing there naked before him, caressing his beautiful body, and him touching me.

But as the sleepiness wore off, doubts started creeping into my mind. Maybe sleeping with him so quickly hadn't been a good idea. It wasn't like me, for one thing. And I didn't want him to think badly of me. Maybe it was normal in his experience? But I didn't want him to see me like all those other girls he could have so easily. I really liked him; I didn't want this to be some meaningless fling.

I couldn't bring myself to fully regret what had happened, though. I'd felt a real connection between us yesterday, otherwise I wouldn't have done what I did. Maybe the Edward-fuelled haze I had developed had led me into taking things too fast, that's all. I couldn't deny the sex had been pretty wonderful. It didn't feel wrong at all.

But two days later, I still hadn't heard from him again. Deciding to get ready for my day, I got up and dressed. In the kitchen, I fixed myself a bowl of cereal and made instant coffee. I tried not to let it bother me. I managed to study and that kept my mind occupied most of the time. But when I had to stop to eat, or I was trying to get to sleep, I couldn't help turning things over in my mind. Why had I been so naïve? Edward Cullen was known for his womanising, and I'd never heard of him being in a long-term relationship, not since he'd been in the public eye. He'd taken his time getting to know me, yes, but once he'd got what he wanted – sex – he was out of the picture. Maybe I had just been more of a challenge for him, and that's why he'd acted like he actually cared. To get me into bed.

But was I being too harsh on him? I remembered back to our first sweet kiss in the restaurant, after a long talk. He'd really started to open up to me. Would he really have gone to the trouble of taking me sightseeing in London, or meeting my friends, just so he could sleep with me? I'd gone to his place at my suggestion, not his. I'd wanted it as much as he had. In fact, I'd been the one initiating things. I sighed. Okay, maybe my mind was running away with me, and I was over-thinking things. But surely he should have called by now?

I was probably doubting myself as much as I was doubting him. Maybe I was only jumping to conclusions about his intentions because I had a hard time imagining what Edward Cullen could have seen in me. I was just an ordinary girl, not much to look at, and we came from different worlds.

I shut my books; the thoughts of Edward had started to dominate too much for me to concentrate, and that was not good. I made my way to Alice's room. Alice and Jasper had separate rooms, even though they were a couple – they still liked to have their own space some of the time. I knocked on the door.

"Yes? Come in!" she called.

"Thanks." I entered her small bedroom. It was unmistakably feminine – but not plastered in pink, just neat and stylish, with understated floral touches on the bedspread and curtains. She was sitting at her desk, evidently studying too.

"Something you wanted to talk about?" she asked, looking up from her work.

"It's about Edward. We met up again on Friday – he took me out for lunch actually. We had a really good day together, doing some sightseeing..." I took a breath, trying to find the courage to get to the point of what was bothering me. "And I thought things were going well, so I went back to his place. And er... we ended up sleeping together," I blurted out.

"Wow! I'm so happy for you, Bella," Alice said, then gave a puzzled look, seeing my face. "Wait, that's a good thing isn't it?" Alice shut her books closed and turned round some more in her chair, giving me her full attention.

I bit my lip. "Well, he hasn't called."

"Do you like him?"

"Yes, but..." I trailed off, not knowing where to start, realising how pathetic my worries would probably sound.

"Well you should call him then," Alice said, firmly. "Do it right now!"

She was right. I couldn't sit around moping all day, and maybe (hopefully) I had been wrong to doubt him. "Thanks Alice – I will."

She smiled as I left the room.

-Edward-

I knew I probably should have called Bella before now, but I had been pretty busy – getting ready for our European tour was taking up most of my time. Rehearsals, packing equipment and going over the tour schedule. I figured she had her own life to be getting on with, anyway. Exams and stuff. She wouldn't mind me not calling for a day or two, right?

I did think about her a lot, of course. I pictured her perfect little body naked in my bed. Me entering her like I had longed to do. But also, the fun we had in London on the day leading up to that point: eating lunch together; laughing and talking; riding the London Eye.

I think I was scared, if I was being honest. Scared about whether I could see her again before I left the country. And if not, worried that she might not want to wait for me until the tour was over. I hadn't even told her how soon I was leaving yet. The travelling and my crazy schedule had messed up relationships for me a couple of times in the past. Since then, I had sort of given up on having any long-lasting ones. It was partly that, and partly the fact that there hadn't been a girl I had clicked with like I had with Bella in so long. They all seemed more interested in the money and the lifestyle than they were in me. I'd just been hooking up with girls to have empty sexual encounters, not expecting anything more. They got a brief taste of what they wanted, and I was happy, or so I'd thought. Now, it felt like Bella could fill a void in my life that I hadn't known was there. It hit me that, scared as I was, I did want to see her again and give this a try. But I wasn't sure I knew how to do this any more – have a lasting relationship. A girlfriend. _Probably ringing her back would make __a start, Cullen._ I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.

I found her number on my iPhone and smiled at her photo next to it. I had taken it on the London Eye on Friday. Her long hair was loose around her shoulders, and she was smiling and looking off to the side, as if in a daydream. I dialled, wondering what to say.

**I'm sorry, the person you are calling is not available. You can leave a message after the tone. Beep.**

Damn, voicemail. No chickening out now though. I scrambled for something to say.

-Bella-

I tried dialling, but the line was engaged. I'd have to try again later.

But a few minutes later, I received a text saying I'd gotten a voicemail. I dialled the number to listen to it. It was Edward. How weird! He'd tried to phone at the exact same moment I was trying to reach him.

"Bella, hi. Oh, it's Edward, by the way." His voice was as I remembered it – velvety smooth and with that endearing English accent. My belly did a little flip. "I meant to call you before, I'm really sorry. Would I be able to see you soon, just for a little while? I know you have exams, but I need to see you. Right... er, well maybe you can call me back... or text, then. Bye."

I was glad I hadn't phoned him myself earlier on, when I probably would've wanted to give him a piece of my mind for not getting in touch. I still didn't really know what was going through his head though.

I tried phoning him again. This time I got through.

"Hi Edward, I got your message..." I started.

"Bella! Thanks for calling back. Can we meet up then?"

"Yeah... okay, I guess I can see you for a little bit tomorrow morning."

"Cool. How about I treat you to breakfast? I know a nice place."

We met the next day as arranged, at a café near his flat. Nothing fancy (for a change), but the food was good and the portions were huge.

"What are we doing here, Edward?" I half-heartedly picked at the fried mushrooms in my cooked breakfast.

He looked confused.

"I mean us. What is this between us? I thought things were good, and then I didn't hear from you, and I started worrying. I've got exams; I can't afford to mess them up. If you don't want to continue this, just say so. It's okay, but I need to know either way." I felt like I had laid out my heart in front of him, ready for him to crush it.

He looked at me and grabbed my hand with both of his. "Oh, Bella, I didn't mean to make you worry. I really like you. Of course I want this to continue!"

A smile crossed my lips, and I was grateful for how stupid I felt. It was worth that to know I had been wrong. "I was kind of worried that we'd rushed things before," I admitted, biting my bottom lip.

"I'm sorry you felt like that," he said. "I had a great time, but I didn't mean to rush you or expect too much of you. I hope I didn't pressure you into it." His warm hands carried on stroking mine.

"No... that's okay, it wasn't you." I looked up at him. "But I want us to take things slower now. Go on a proper date. Maybe after my exams are finished."

"Okay, a date then. The only thing is, I've been meaning to tell you..."

I didn't like the worried look on his face.

"... our European tour starts in a few days, so I'll be going away for a bit."

"How long?" I'd seen the posters a while ago but had forgotten this would be happening. It would be hard with him being gone. Still, I had almost expected him to say something worse.

"A month, I think. Well, I'm back in the UK at the end of it, but I'll be going round to different cities. It's such shitty timing, Bella. We're just getting to know each other, and I do want to be with you." The tension in his body reflected his obvious anxiety; his fists were balled up, making the muscles in his arms tense, and his jaw was twitching. He was kind of pale, too. "I don't want to wait so long to see you again. I was scared what you'd say, that's kind of why I didn't phone sooner."

I thought about it for a minute. "Well, at least it gives me time to focus on the rest of my exams properly. Now that I know we're good, I can do that."

"When will they be over?"

"In a couple of weeks."

He looked a bit happier. We both ate in silence for a minute before he spoke again.

"You could come and see us play after that then? If you wanted, that is. I could get you a ticket for Glastonbury festival... it's the last date on the tour, so I'll probably stay there after our set. Have you ever been?"

"No, I haven't. I went to Bumbershoot in Seattle once though."

"Bumbershoot?" Edward gave me a quizzical look.

"Yeah, weird name, I know, but they had some big name bands. I think it's probably quite similar to Glastonbury. Which I'd love to go to, by the way. And I'd really like to see you playing it." I couldn't hide my enthusiasm.

I was rewarded by a crooked grin. "Okay. I'll look into that... it'll be a good reward for when you finish your exams! But I'm guessing that a festival doesn't really count as a date?"

"Err, no! I don't think so." I laughed. "We'll have to think of something else for that. But it could be fun. Would we be camping?" That could be quite intimate. Was this a bad idea?

"Well, sort of. You'd have a back-stage pass, and there is a bands-only field with luxury Winnebagos. There are proper toilets and showers," he explained. "You can have a separate bed, of course," he added, softly.

That sounded okay. Not that I didn't want us to share a bed again, but at least he was making it clear there was no rush to.

"Cool. So if it's okay with you, I'll ring to let you know when we're back in the UK again in a few weeks. I'd like to text or email you while I'm travelling though, so we can stay in touch... if you wouldn't mind that?"

"No I wouldn't mind, that would be nice." I wrote my email down for him on a napkin.

"Thanks for meeting up, Bella. I'm sorry you got worried after we didn't talk. I hope you can concentrate on your exams for a bit longer now, and I'll see you soon. I'm looking forward to it," Edward said, gently brushing my cheek with two fingers.

"Me too." I didn't want him to think I had stopped feeling anything for him, so I leaned in to kiss him, trying to convey the passion that had never really gone away.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading! :)**

**If you enjoyed this, maybe you could check out my new story too? If you like drabble-style short chapters, that is. It's called "Don't Tell the Bride" and involves an engaged Edward and Bella going on the TV of the same name to fund their wedding. I'm trying to update DTTB daily.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here I am again, sorry I've been slow updating. Thank you to my lovely betas. TDS88 and NinaQ, for their suggestions and hard work. Thanks also to Twilight Fic Zone for posting a teaser on their site. Also I wanted to thank The Fictionators for doing the same on previous occasions. Thank you for coming back, and for all the favourites, alerts and reviews **– they mean a lot**. :)**

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><p>(BPOV)<p>

Now that I felt reassured things were good with Edward, I could focus on studying again and apply myself to finishing my first year university exams. I'd miss him, but my grades were important to me. I'd come all the way over to England for this degree, so I didn't want to waste the opportunity. Besides, maybe a bit of time and space apart was a good thing, as I'd been worried we'd rushed things. We would both be able to get our heads straight, figure out what we wanted, and hopefully look forward to going on a proper 'date' all the more once he got back. And going to Glastonbury festival, of course!

The next day, I came out of my exam (on British literature of the 19th Century) on a high. It was one of my best subjects, and I was confident I'd done well. As soon as I had turned over the paper, I'd seen an essay question I knew _exactly_ how to answer, and my pen had barely left the paper as I scribbled quickly, trying to get all my ideas down in a logical way. The two hours were over all too soon, but I'd finished easily and was satisfied I'd done enough.

I got home, tired, but still in a good mood. A beautiful, large bouquet of purple, pink and white flowers was waiting for me on the kitchen table. I read the printed card with my name on it:

**Thinking of you, can't wait to see you very soon. Good luck with your exams. Edward x**

A kiss! He'd put a kiss on the end of it!

I tried to dampen down the stomach-flipping excitement and not let myself get carried away. The flowers weren't exactly an original idea... it was still really sweet though. I was glad of a sign that he was thinking of me, and trying to show it too. It was nice to be reminded of Edward's softer side again.

Then I noticed there was a bulky envelope propped up against the flowers. Inside was the Glastonbury ticket, as promised, and a red lanyard holding a VIP backstage pass! It was not long until the festival started now; I just had two more exams to get through first.

(EPOV)

We were a week into our European tour. It wasn't our first, but the venues got a little bigger each time, and the number of dates increased. Last night, we played in some town in Belgium I'd never been to before. Today, I was waking up in ... _where was I again? Oh, that's right _... Paris! _Cool_. Being on tour was pretty disorientating; you never had enough time got to get settled anywhere before it was time to move on. It felt like an endless rotation of hotel rooms and tour bus beds. But it definitely beat working in a dead-end job that was the same day after day; I didn't think I could hack that. I liked experiencing the sights and sounds in unfamiliar places and soaking up the unique energy I sensed in each one. Different cultures and audiences each had their own way of seeing things. All this I took away with me and stored it up inside for my song writing. It was probably teaching me more than a university education ever could have. Well, more useful stuff anyway.

_It's not too late yet for a Parisian-style breakfast. _Sometimes, I went out with the others, but today I felt like time alone, so I got up and set out onto the street. It was just a short walk to a café that a fan had recommended to me the last time we came. I had my shades on but wasn't that worried about being recognised. From my experience of France, either we weren't that well-known here yet, or people were generally a bit more respectful.

The café was on a street corner, overlooking a square. It wasn't too busy and looked like mostly locals. I took my place at an outside table. A waiter took my order: orange juice, a croissant and a cup of tea. I was probably marking myself out as a foreigner by not having a morning coffee like everyone else, but I didn't care.

It arrived quickly, and I tucked in. The pastries here were freshly made each morning in a bakery next door and were delicious; flaky, light and buttery, something to savour. Nothing like the poor, chewy imitations you could buy in a supermarket in England. Sitting here, I could watch the world go by as I ate. I liked watching other people, it made a change from being the one in the spotlight.

Feeling relaxed and refreshed, I got back to the hotel. Emmett, Jake and I had some sightseeing planned before the gig later.

(BPOV)

I was taking a break from studying, so I allowed myself a bit of time on the Internet. First, I checked my email. Nothing too interesting except a link to a YouTube video from a friend back home. I clicked that and watched the cute baby animals compilation, which made me smile. Then amongst the 'suggested videos' that came up at the end, for some reason, was a Monster music video for their latest single, _Damage_.

I couldn't resist clicking on it; I hadn't seen this one before. It started off with the band playing in an empty white room. Edward was standing in the foreground, feet slightly apart as he played guitar and sang, gazing directly into the camera. He looked devastatingly gorgeous with his hair in its usual state of disarray, clothes showing off his toned body, but it was his self-assured swagger and talent that made him so desirable. His vocals were deep and sexy.

"_You've got me where you want me,_

_Cornered and confused."_

The room around them was changing as he sang with items appearing out of nowhere, but the band went on playing as if nothing strange was happening. First, it appeared to be a hospital ward, with patients in beds and medical staff all oblivious to the band being there. Then all of this disappeared and they were suddenly in a war zone in a hot country with tanks and men in uniform going past them on a dusty road. He carried on singing:

"_This pain you're causing me,_

_All this damage inside..."_

The scene around them had changed to rioting on a city street. Cars being set on fire by masked rioters who were running from the police. The song ended with Edward falling to his knees, genuine passion etched on his face, as he played a dramatic solo ... making the guitar sing and _wail_ at the mercy of his long, talented fingers. I knew from experience those fingers had other talents ... I was aching with need to feel them on me again.

It was hard to resist seeing a little more of him. It wasn't like I was going to be able to concentrate now anyway. I Googled his name, surprised at the fact I hadn't done this until now – not since meeting him anyway. Maybe the fact I felt weird doing it was a clue why, but I carried on regardless. I resisted clicking on 'Image Search' for now, instead selecting 'News' results, thinking maybe I'd be able to see what country he was in at the moment.

The first headline made my heart sink.

**Edward Cullen Hooks Up With Mystery Blonde**

It was from a tabloid newspaper, so maybe I shouldn't have clicked on it, but I obviously had a masochistic streak. There were two pictures of Edward apparently getting very friendly with a skimpily-dressed blonde girl. It was definitely him in the photos. In one, she was kissing him, and in the other, she had her arms wrapped around him. It seemed to be mainly her doing the touching, though he didn't exactly look unhappy about it. I read the first paragraph.

**'Despite our report last week that Edward Cullen has a new girlfriend in England–' **_Hang on, did they mean me?_** '–this rock star doesn't hang about for long. He was spotted partying backstage last night in Paris after a gig – with a mystery blonde, who is **_**not**_** his rumoured girlfriend."**

Below this was another paparazzi shot of him walking side by side on the street with a brunette...wait, the brunette was _me_. It wasn't a very clear picture, but I recognised the top I was wearing as my favourite. It must have been taken the last time I saw him. I hadn't been aware of any photographers at the time. How many other photos of us were out there from other occasions? And was he really seeing another woman, already? I felt a bit sick and had to force myself to close the page and shut down my laptop before I could read on or look at anything else. _Paris, city of romance? Yeah, right._

I sighed heavily and repeated to myself _don't believe the gossip rags, don't believe the gossip rags._ They just made stuff up to sell papers, right? Or heavily embellished the facts. There must be a good explanation, if I could only talk to Edward and hear it from his own lips. Maybe it was his sister or something. No ... not kissing like _that_. I hoped Alice would have a theory or two for me; I needed something to hold onto.

But I was determined not to get too upset by this until he had a chance to explain. Our relationship wasn't going to go anywhere without some trust from me. I knew him well enough to owe him that, to put a little more faith in him than I did in the tabloid papers. Although a sad little voice in my subconscious was reminding me that _if it is true, he's not worth it anyway._

Thinking back to the photo of him with me, I really hoped this meant there weren't going to be people from the press with long lens cameras at my house, or leaping out of bushes to ask me about my relationship with Edward. I prayed that this was my imagination running wild, rather than the reality of the situation.

I had to go find Alice.

(EPOV)

I awoke with a sore head the morning after the Paris gig. Maybe all those beers and shots hadn't been such a good idea. It felt like a small animal had curled up and died in my mouth... several days ago. I couldn't remember much of what had gone on last night, but I had an uneasy feeling that it wasn't good. I frowned and tried to concentrate, but that just made my head hurt more.

I sat up in the hotel bed. No girl in it with me. Well, that's a good sign. My memories of the gig and the obviously heavy partying I'd done afterwards were hazy, but I did remember Bella's sweet face and my intentions not to hurt her. Hopefully, I'd hadn't forgotten those good intentions and reverted to my old ways when I got blind drunk. I hoped I still possessed enough self-control even then.

I swung my legs out of the hotel bed to get up, grabbing a packet of painkillers from the bedside table. I really needed a drink. The hotel room was large, but there was still no more than a mini-bar in terms of catering. Hmm, just booze – _shudder_ – or a fancy brand of mineral water in a glass bottle. Cold water would do for now. I took a long slug, but it didn't do much to alleviate the horrible taste. I swallowed two painkillers and washed them down with more water.

I was sort of hungry, I realised. I wasn't sure what food I could stomach, but maybe eating something would help me remember ... give me some energy. I didn't have any food in the room, except energy bars. I didn't want to go down to the breakfast room and face other people right now, so I grabbed the room service menu and phoned to ask for some buttered toast, eggs and a cup of tea.

A nice cup of tea could cure everything, they said. I didn't know about that, but it was certainly helping me feel more human again. Bits of last night were starting to come back to me... there was a blonde girl... backstage. I had a beer in my hand. She was standing very close to me, giggling and touching me, as if she knew me intimately.

_Think! Did I know her? Did anything happen with her?_

Oh, that's right. I only knew her as this over-enthusiastic 'fan' (to put it politely) that turned up on a lot of my tour dates. I don't think she was even French... from her accent, Eastern European more likely. _What was her name? Anita? Angela? No, wait ... it was Anna._ I think I'd signed an autograph for her or had a picture taken with her or something, and ever since then she'd ramped up the crazy, thinking she had a claim on me... following me about in various countries, sending me gifts and sometimes trying to touch me. It had started to get a bit creepy. She'd been hanging around near the venue last night, hours before the gig was due to start – long before anyone else was queuing.

The roadies had let her in backstage. I don't know why, I'd be having an angry word with them when I saw them. She made a beeline for me, and then Emmett and Jake were egging her on as she got all friendly with me, thinking it was entertaining. _Thanks for that, guys. _I'm pretty sure I tried to show her I wasn't interested, but she wouldn't seem to take no for an answer and was all over me before I knew it; my reaction times weren't great when I was drunk. Also, throwing off a hot girl with barely any clothes on went against all my instincts. When she finally started trying to get me to engage in a kiss though, that was the final straw, and my brain engaged with my body. I broke away and yelled at her, "I'm not interested in you... get the fuck out!" She looked surprised and upset – she was clearly deluded into thinking we had a history or some shit – but it did the trick, and she ran off, sobbing. I can't remember, but no doubt Jake would've teased me for making a girl cry.

I ate the rest of my breakfast, feeling relieved now that I could pretty much remember what had happened. Secure in the knowledge I hadn't done anything wrong, I started thinking about other things, like where was next on the tour. I got out my copy of the schedule. We had today off, which is why I'd been able to get away with drinking so much. Then tomorrow afternoon, we had a flight to Barcelona for a gig that night.

Room service had brought me up a newspaper, though I don't know why, as it was was in French, and I barely understood a word of it. I had a quick flick through, thinking if anything major had happened I might get a hint by the photos. If it was anything interesting, I could turn the TV on and see if it had English news channels. No ... nothing new. I was about to give up after a few pages when I saw a familiar scene: a shot of Anna getting her claws into me, whilst giving the camera an eyeful of her impressive cleavage.

I read the headline out loud, in what was probably an abysmal French accent, hoping it would help me decode its meaning – "La dernière conquête pour Edward Cullen: séducteur invétéré".

Now I wished I'd paid more attention in French lessons at school. My name, and I think the word 'seducer' were all I could make out, though that was enough information. I scanned through the article and threw the paper down angrily after seeing the word "play-boy" appear a couple of times.

Okay, maybe my past record (flirting publicly with a lot of women and sleeping with some of them) made the labels somewhat justified, but people could change couldn't they? I wasn't a sex addict or anything... I could stop if I wanted to. It just came with the territory: being young, good-looking and famous. What hot-blooded single guy was going to turn down girls who were throwing themselves at him? It'd only been a bit of fun; I'd figured it was never hurting anyone because I was never in serious relationships. I hadn't met the right woman to want more than that, until now. Even during those casual flings with women, I never cheated on anyone... I wasn't that sort of person. I certainly didn't want to cheat on Bella, or to hurt her and mess things up so early into our relationship.

I was seething at the press, and cursing at myself ... for not thinking of taking out a restraining order on Anna. I should have taken her stalker tendencies more seriously – and not just let her attention flatter my ego. But even if I had, something like this probably would have happened at some point ... the press would've found some dirt on me one way or another. They'd printed a lot of rubbish in the past. It was one reason why I hadn't had any lasting relationships since the band had got big.

Damn it! I could just picture all the compromising paparazzi shots of me and that skank in all the tabloids back home, lazy hacks rubbing their hands together in glee at a nice juicy celebrity story. By now, Bella might have already seen them. With my reputation, did I have any chance of convincing her when I protested my innocence?


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: If anyone's left reading this, I'm really sorry for the delay between chapters. I was writing something else for a contest and then the last month was really busy for me in RL. Thank you for staying with me. :)**

**Thanks also to my betas, NinaQ and TDS88, for their much-valued support and help with my writing. :) *Mwah!***

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><p>-Bella-<p>

I was listening to a Sigur Rós album on my iPod. Normally, anything with singing was distracting whilst studying, because I'd end up thinking about the lyrics. But, since this was in Icelandic, the falsetto male voice seemed to become just another instrument, in harmony with the orchestral backing. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the ethereal music envelop me, hoping it might calm the chaos in my head.

I looked back down at the novel I was studying. I was going over some of the common themes that might come up in the exam. Currently, I was looking at the male characters in the play, and in particular, the romantic hero. I put pen to paper to brainstorm his main attributes.

On the surface, they were oh-so predictable: good looks, gentlemanly manners, and intelligence.

But I knew that there was more to him than just those: he was rich (of much higher social status than the heroine), a womaniser and rather arrogant. He shouldn't have been very likeable, but somehow, he was still all too desirable to the female protagonist and to the reader. A loveable rogue or a 'cad' as my British lecturer called them. Why is it that women have always found a bad boy so much sexier? Will we never learn? As I mused on this, an image of such a man was forming in my head. He was in a crowd, but he was the only one I could see clearly; the others were blurry. He turned his flawless face towards me, giving a familiar cocky smile, then turned back to casually observe the women fawning all over him.

Of course, this brought back unwelcome memories of this morning's tabloid headlines and the photo of him getting intimate with the blonde woman.

I stood up and threw my pen down in disgust, which at least dissolved the mental image. Shit, I really needed to find some focus and get Edward Cullen out of my head, at least until I found out the truth of what had been going on. Surely, he'd seen the headlines by now and considered what I'd make of them … but I hadn't heard anything from him yet.

He'd emailed me twice earlier on during the tour, just as he'd promised. The messages had been short but sweet, and he'd attached a photo of whichever European city he was in at the time. So I checked my emails again now, and my phone too, but there was nothing from him.

I decided to go downstairs and get something to eat. Maybe after that, I could ask Alice's advice; I'd been delaying talking to her, but I knew I needed to talk about this to someone. She hadn't said anything to me yet, but the chances were she'd have seen the news too. Under normal circumstances, if there was any juicy celebrity gossip, she'd be the first one to see it and tell me.

The music I'd thought was so beautiful earlier was now just grating on my nerves. I stopped the track and took my earbuds out.

I could hear Alice's voice as I approached the kitchen; it looked like I'd have to face her sooner than I'd expected. She was talking to a man. It must have been Jasper, I supposed.

"Oh hi, Bella, I tried to call you —" Alice began, touching my shoulder as I walked through the door, but I caught sight of our visitor and didn't stop to listen.

"Edward! What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you were in France."

Judging by the way his face fell, maybe this wasn't quite the reception he'd hoped for. But I had every right to be shocked to find him here, and he wasn't exactly my favourite person right now.

"Hi, Bella … I'm assuming you've seen the papers then?" he asked, running his fingers through his hair.

I think it was pretty obvious that I had.

I just nodded, feeling lost for words. I must've sounded angry when I'd walked in, but I wasn't sure that was how I was feeling. Just … totally confused and in shock from his presence … numb, almost. My hands were shaking, so I clasped them tightly in front of me.

He shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to another and played with his hair again. His usual brash confidence had vanished, leaving him looking lost and uncomfortable; a sight neither of us was used to.

He looked down at his feet rather than at me. Finally, he spoke, blurting out the words. "You don't seem glad to see me. I don't know how I could have expected any other reaction from you. I can see how the pictures must have looked. I get that ... I don't blame you. But I hope you'll let me explain."

My heart fell a bit, hearing him sound so despairing, and I badly wanted to reach out to him, though my better instincts told me not to ... I had to keep my guard up until I heard everything he had to say. I didn't speak though; I didn't know what to say. Luckily, he had enough words for both of us.

"The guys told me not to do this... come and see you. They said it was too much." Now he was wringing his hands in anxiety, like a character out of my novel. "I should've listened to them. I'm sorry." He lifted his head and looked into my eyes with his green ones, tugging on my heartstrings again. "But I just needed to see you face-to-face to explain."

Alice stood behind him, saying nothing, but giving me an encouraging smile that I think meant 'give him a chance'. My heart was already with him, wanting to hear him out, hoping to hear him justify what I'd seen, though I wasn't going to let him know that. But, above all, I wanted the truth, even if that was painful to hear.

I was glad that he'd come here; talking face to face was much better than on the phone, though it was still pretty crazy of him to return from another country just for this. I wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad sign. Had he gone to extremes purely because he cared so much? Or because he really had something to feel guilty about?

"Well, I appreciate you coming here to see me," I said, cautiously. "It makes talking easier."

There was movement behind Edward … it was Alice, in a poor attempt to sneak out unnoticed.

"I'm going to give you guys some privacy," she said, holding her hands up apologetically, noticing that two sets of eyes were on her. I guess she'd waited around until she'd seen I was willing to at least listen to Edward. Alice was a good friend, but her way wasn't to unconditionally side with me against a guy — not if she felt that he deserved a chance.

"Can I get you a tea?" I asked, once she'd left, wanting to do something that felt normal.

"Er, yeah … thanks. You're not kicking me out?" he asked, apparently surprised I wasn't biting his head off just yet.

"No, I'm not," I said.

"I thought you'd be more … angry."

I turned towards the kitchen cupboard, but I could feel his eyes on me still. I wondered for a moment, what was the 'normal' way to react to finding out from the newspapers that your rockstar boyfriend had cheated on you?

I put a teabag in a mug and some water into the kettle.

Might have cheated, I corrected myself. I was still clinging onto the fragile hope that the papers had got him all wrong.

The kettle boiled, and I very nearly poured boiling water into the tea bag container instead of the mug. I needed to get with it.

I tried to process it logically. Edward could have pretty much any woman he wanted, and maybe some of these would happily turn a blind eye to him sleeping around. It was far too much work for him to stay faithful, then feel that he had to fly over and explain himself, unless he really cared about me.

"Did you really fly back to the UK just to speak to me?" I blurted out. I didn't want him to think I was easily won over by grand gestures, but my curiosity got the better of me.

"Is that so strange?"

I suppose someone in his position could take a private jet without a second thought.

"I just didn't expect to see you so soon. And I dread to think how much it cost you."

"It's worth every penny to see you in person," he said with quiet certainty. "And I owe you an explanation."

"Yeah ... you certainly do," I said.

He stood there fidgeting, with his eyes downcast, and I almost felt bad for him. But I was letting him off lightly, really. I was probably within my rights to be screaming and swearing, or kicking him out of the house without a chance to talk. But … I don't know, that wasn't me. I was finding all this difficult, but I had to hear his side of the story before I could really judge him. It wasn't fair to jump to conclusions.

I added milk and handed him the tea.

"Thanks, Bella." He glanced at me as he spoke, and I got the impression he was grateful for any little kindness I could show him at the moment.

"Here, let's go and sit down," I said, in what I hoped was a more friendly tone. The atmosphere was awkward enough between us already without me giving him a hard time. He clearly felt bad and there was no need for it. I should give him the benefit of the doubt.

I hadn't even thought to make myself a drink, so I quickly grabbed a glass of tap water and then headed through to the living room. Edward followed me.

I sat on the sofa, while he kept his distance from me and took a chair.

He needed to cut to the chase. "So tell me what really happened then, Edward. Did you sleep with that girl?"

Edward had been sipping on his tea and seemed to swallow it the wrong way, causing him to have a coughing fit.

I waited until he'd recovered.

"Well?"

"No. Definitely not, none of it's true."

The knot in my stomach loosened by a few inches, but his denial was all too predictable and I needed to hear a bit more. And why hadn't he just told me straight away?

"So you didn't kiss her either?" I asked.

"Well, I — no, not technically," he said, worryingly.

Was he going to lie about photos I'd seen with my own eyes?

"Either you kissed her or you didn't," I said, crossing my arms across my chest in a gesture that probably gave off more confidence than I really felt. I wasn't going to let him wriggle out of this one. I didn't think I could date someone I couldn't trust. I really needed him to be honest with me.

"Actually, she kissed me. I didn't want it, but she was all over me before I knew it. I know it sounds like I'm making it up, but honestly, the girl's an obsessive fan, bordering on stalker, and I think she's got a screw loose. I told her to fuck off after that, and she did. But not before the paps had got their story for the papers." The bitterness in his voice was clear.

I wanted to believe him, and I guess this sounded reasonably convincing. When I'd got involved with Edward, I'd known very well that I'd have to deal with all the attention he got, both from other women and from the press. Neither of those was really his fault; they came with the job.

He reached his arm out towards me and took my hand, looking me in the eyes. "I swear I didn't want it to happen, but I'm so sorry anyway, Bella. I know it must have been horrible for you, reading those headlines. And with your exams to get through too," he said.

I could feel my body shaking once again. Tears were pricking my eyes. All the tension that had been building up inside me now had nowhere to go, and I didn't know how to react. If what he said was true, I had no reason to worry, and yet this didn't feel much like relief.

"Hey, no … Bella!" he said, placing his fingers under my chin, to raise my lowered face back up to his. "It's okay."

Often, when I was close to tears, a little well-meaning concern from someone was all it took to set me off. Right on cue, a few sobs escaped. Edward took his hand away from me as if he'd had an electric shock.

Pretty soon, I was weeping uncontrollably. My barriers were down, and I couldn't hide my emotions any longer. I was past the point of caring about the fact that I was crying in front of Edward, but he looked like he was embarrassed enough for both of us. He just sat there, avoiding eye contact and looking at a loss as to how to help.

A crazy thought flashed through my head that this was how Mr. Darcy must have looked while Elizabeth Bennet cried in front of him. The mental image of a stern-looking Colin Firth pacing in front of Jennifer Ehle set off a new round of sobs.

But then he seemed to come to a decision on what to do. He got up, sat right next to me on the sofa — breaking the forced distance between us — and threw his arms firmly around me. My emotions were so confused that I wasn't sure at first whether I wanted him to hold me at the moment. After all, he was the one that had made me feel like this, and I didn't know yet if I could really trust him. But I didn't pull away. My traitorous body was instead nestling into the soothing warmth of his chest and taking comfort in his familiar smell. I felt at home there, in his arms.

As he gently stroked my hair, I felt myself relaxing. We must have been like that for a long time, but he seemed to have plenty of patience. All the mixed-up thoughts in my head were gradually quietening down, as was my sobbing.

We still had lots we needed to talk through, but for now, he was telling me everything I needed to know without words.

~ooo~

I woke up, disorientated, to find that I was still on the sofa, lying in Edward's arms, with a blanket covering us both. My head was resting against his chest, and I could hear the reassuring, regular sound of his heartbeat. It gave me a strange but welcome calmness as I began to remember last night. Thinking Edward was still asleep, I just lay there, not moving, for several minutes.

He gave a heavy breath: he must have just woken up. I lifted my head and sat up to look at him.

"Hey, Bella," he murmured sleepily, his eyes fluttering open.

"Hey, yourself," I said. "Sorry for falling asleep on you."

He sat up a bit and reached out to sweep the hair away from my face, then touched my cheek gently.

"You don't have to apologise for sleeping! I think you were totally worn out, and I really didn't mind."

"Shit, don't you have to be somewhere today?" I said, the thought only just occurring to me. I didn't want him missing a tour date for me.

"No, don't worry, I don't have to leave until this afternoon. We've got a gig in Spain tonight. Alice told me you didn't have another exam 'til tomorrow, right?"

_Shit, my exam. _"Yeah, she's right."

"So we could go out for breakfast, if you like? Unless you want me to leave now." Uncertainty crept into his voice.

"No, I don't, I mean … yes to the breakfast."

"Great!" he said, and I was pleased to see the return of that familiar crooked smile.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you for reading!**  
><strong>**

**If you're interested, that contest entry I mentioned is ****called Dig for Fire and you can find it on my profile. (It features a Polish speaking Sportsward). It's currently a O/S but I'm thinking of continuing it, as it was a lot of fun to write.**

**I'm still planning on continuing this fic and have started the next chapter (G&G) - I know it's been a while, and thank you for your patience if you're still reading :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I haven't updated this story in a while, but I'm glad to see you back. Or if you saw the teaser on The Fictionators' site: welcome!**

**Thank you to my lovely PTB betas, NinaQ and TDS88, for their hard work. Also, thanks to Caren & Kassiah for hosting the teaser, and to Allymals for creating the banner you might have seen there.**

* * *

><p>-Bella-<p>

Finally, my exams had finished. After a few days relaxing, Glastonbury weekend had quickly arrived. I was looking forward to getting to the festival and exploring the place. I'd seen it described in the music press; it sounded like an amazing event, so I was really excited to be able to see it for myself — and to watch Edward's band headlining, of course.

I remembered reading several months ago that this year's festival was completely sold out. I hadn't tried applying for tickets myself, but I'd spoken to people at university who had — they'd found the phone lines jammed and the website overloaded with traffic. Apparently, every year there was a lot more demand than there were tickets, so only the lucky few had managed to buy them. Months later, I found myself provided with a free one by Edward Cullen — with backstage access. Those university friends would probably have died of jealousy if they'd known.

Even during the journey towards the festival site that sunny morning, I'd felt a part of something unusual. The closer I'd gotten to my destination, the more festival goers I'd seen — Bristol rail station was swarming with them. They were mostly recognisable by their huge backpacks — sometimes with Wellington boots dangling from the straps — along with camping gear. A lot looked in their early twenties like I was, but there were older groups too and even families with small children.

There was a bus stop in front of the station, from which I knew a coach to the festival left every half hour. Seeing others laden down with their oversized backpacks, I was glad that I'd been able to pack lighter. I still needed a range of clothing — not knowing what the weather would be like — but there would be no camping for me because I was staying with Edward. He'd said something about a luxury Winnebago. I wasn't sure if we'd be alone or with the rest of the band, though. It depended on whether they were staying for the whole festival too.

Monster was headlining tonight, which was a Friday and the first day of the three-day event. They were travelling down from Scotland later today, after a gig in Edinburgh last night, so Edward warned me he wasn't sure what time he'd be able to meet me — but promised he'd at least see me before their set.

It didn't bother me that I had to travel alone today. Maybe it came from growing up as an only child, but I quite enjoyed a bit of my own space sometimes. But even though I'd assured him that I was okay with it, Edward had felt bad that he wasn't able to join me until very late tonight, so he'd insisted on getting festival tickets for Alice and Jasper through his management company, much to their excitement. Alice did an uncanny impression of a little kid at Christmas Eve when I told her. Jasper was more subtle about it, but I knew he was happy to be going; most of all his favourite band, Kasabian, was playing on the Friday night and it'd be the first time he'd seen them live.

Alice's cousin lived in Bath, so she and Jasper had been staying with her for a couple of nights. They were planning to travel to the festival this afternoon.

Unlike me though, they'd be camping. I think Alice would've been happier to accept Edward's offer to find them an off-site bed and breakfast with all the creature comforts, but Jasper had talked her into "getting the authentic festival experience."

During the hour-long coach journey, I listened to my iPod and then read a book — a trashy romance because my exams were over and I was in need of something a little lighter than my university reading list. Out of the window, I could see the landscape gradually changing. As we left Bristol's grey, faceless urban buildings, we passed through smaller villages with quaint, thatched cottages, red post boxes set into brick walls, and neatly tended flowerbeds. We got stuck behind a slow tractor for a little while on a single narrow, bumpy lane. Finally, there were only lush, green fields dotted with sheep and separated from the road by hedges or uneven stone walls.

From the road signs, I could tell that we were almost at our destination. The coach turned down one long, dusty road and I could see massive temporary car-parks set up in fields. There were probably hundreds or even thousands of cars already parked there. A steward in a reflective, fluorescent orange flak jacket signalled for the coach driver to turn into one of these car-parks, where there were already two other coaches with festival-goers getting off. People were gathering their luggage from the hold and hoisting rucksacks back onto their shoulders, ready to walk to the festival site.

When everyone was off our coach, a steward showed us which way to go. It wasn't too far, but most people had a lot to carry so it took some effort. The more well-prepared had little wheeled golf carts or trolleys — I even saw a wheelbarrow — that they could load things onto: most contained crates of beer and wine-boxes, sometimes with camping gear stacked on top, seeming like an afterthought.

We trudged down the dusty path, with the seven-foot security wall on our right. After a few minutes, some gates, manned by stewards, came into view. Once it was my turn, I handed over my ticket and the young girl, dressed in green cargo shorts and with an orange flak jacket over her T-shirt, inspected it under the UV lamp. When she was satisfied, she nodded to the boy beside her.

"Can you put your arm out for me, please?"

I put out my left arm, and he carefully placed a multi-coloured wristband, with Glastonbury 2013 written on it, around my wrist. Using a machine, he clamped a metal part onto the fabric to join the two ends and secure it there. Glancing at my ticket again, he took out a yellow wristband with VIP on it in black writing, and added that next to the other one.

"Thank you."

I was ushered along to a table where several more stewards were handing out information and festival guides.

"Here you go. Take this one —"one of them handed me a clear, credit-card sized plastic wallet on a red lanyard — "and treasure it." The wallet had a small booklet inside it, and a stubby pencil — presumably for marking acts you wanted to see. I put it safely around my neck.

He smiled and continued. "You won't want to go without it — it's got a map, and all the times for the bands in there." His strong accent might have been a local Somerset one but I wasn't too sure; it reminded me of a British farmer I'd seen on TV once. Luckily, I could still understand most of what he was saying. "Enjoy the festival!"

"Thanks!"

There was no need to ask which way to go next — I simply slipped into the midst of the swelling crowd and walked with the flow. Away from the gates, we arrived at a farmhouse and a white, hall-sized tent marked '_Left luggage and Lost Property'_. Most people kept walking towards the fields allocated for camping, but I stopped, needing somewhere to leave my bag until Edward showed me our accommodation for the night.

I shook my head to the offers of free condoms and sunscreen but took one of the toilet rolls they were handing out — probably best to make sure I had enough. I shuddered at the memory of festival toilets I'd experienced elsewhere and hoped I'd get to use more pleasant ones with my backstage pass.

I moved a few things I thought I might need from my backpack to my messenger bag, then stuffed the backpack into one of the taller lockers. I put a pound coin into the mechanism and locked it, taking the key.

Having freed myself of the backpack, I wanted to go and explore the festival site. I got out the guide from the plastic holder around my neck and had a look at the map. The green areas nearest me represented camping fields. Further south were the main stages; I counted at least five that were for music. There were also Cinema, Cabaret and Theatre tents or stages. The bands only started at noon, so I wasn't quite sure where to go first. But perhaps I could walk towards one of the stages anyway, to get a feel for the place. I could always go elsewhere if I came across anything interesting along the way.

I walked down the tarmac path towards the sea of tents. They were mostly blue and green, and tightly packed. I saw a couple walking in between them, having to step over guy-ropes to avoid tripping. There didn't seem to be much space left, at least in this field, and I hoped Alice and Jasper would be able to find somewhere to camp when they arrived later on.

I turned left on the path, which ran downhill, to follow a sign towards the Pyramid Stage. People were embracing the warm day by dressing in shorts and skirts. Most were casual, so I felt at home in my light blue denim shorts, white band T-shirt and Vans. But one or two made me smile as they walked past in bizarre fancy-dress: a man in a tight-fitting, red lycra costume covering his whole body, including his face — I wondered how he could see where he was going. Another group of men were dressed in city banker-style black and white suits complete with black bowler hats and holding large folded-up umbrellas, despite the fine weather. There were several fairies too with wings and pink tutus — not just the teenage girls I'd have expected, but women who must have been in their forties. A lot of the regularly dressed women had hairbands decorated with fake flowers, embracing the festival atmosphere.

As the Pyramid stage's name suggested, the imposing grey stage was a pyramid shape, with a curved extension to the roof at the front over the actual stage. Nearby, there was a market laid out on both sides of the path, bustling with customers. There were stands specialising in everything from vintage clothes, '_Herbal Highs'_ to CDs. I needed to save my money for the moment, but I carried on looking around, just out of curiosity. One stall hoped to cash in on every possible weather eventuality by stocking Wellington boots, sunglasses, umbrellas and deckchairs. Another, marked with a yellow overhead sign saying '_24 Hour Shop'_, seemed to be attracting a lot of interest, with its rows of basic supplies like toothpaste, shampoo, cigarettes and toilet rolls.

Further down, the stalls and vans all sold food, and I was surprised at the wide variety available. As well as the predictable burgers and hotdogs, you could buy anything from falafels to Mexican, Moroccan and Italian cuisine. The prices were a little steep, but the food generally smelled and looked very appetising. Most had lines of interested customers already, even though it was only 11 a.m.

After watching the first band at one of the smaller stages — an alternative three-piece that I'd never heard of before — I was starting to get hungry myself. I decided on an Asian stall, choosing a Japanese beef noodle dish with tempura vegetables. The man behind the counter piled the crispy tempura onto the top of an already generous helping of food and handed it over.

I sat on the grass in front of the currently empty Pyramid stage and ate out of the cardboard container with wooden chopsticks. It was really tasty, but eventually I was forced to admit defeat and leave some. My belly was heavy with food, but there was no need to go anywhere just yet.

After I'd been lazily soaking up the sun for a half hour or so, Alice rang me.

"Hi, Bella! We made it here finally … Jas is setting the tent up right now." I smiled at my vision of her sat on a deck chair with her feet up, bossing him around.

"Oh, you found somewhere to camp okay, then? It looked pretty busy from what I could see."

"Yeah, don't worry, the stewards told us directions for a site that was still free." She sounded very cheery. "So, where are you then? We can come and find you once we're all done here."

"Near the Pyramid Stage. It's really busy, but I can meet you near the official merchandise stand on the left of the stage, so that you can find me more easily."

"Okay, then. See you soon!" She put the phone down.

I wasn't sure how long they'd be; maybe I could find room for a Mr. Whippy ice cream while I waited.

~ G&G ~

I saw my friends approaching, but just watched them for a moment. Alice's outfit of a blue and white floral blouse with blue cut-off pants was cute and summery, and she'd fit right in with the VIP crowd with those oversized sunnies. Jasper, a good head taller than her, was more scruffy, in jeans and brown T-shirt — but the look suited him. He had his arm around her, protectively.

Jasper noticed me and waved, so I waved back.

"Bella!" Alice parted from her boyfriend and rushed over to hug me. Anyone watching would've thought it had been years since she'd last seen me, though actually it was only a couple of days.

I smiled at her enthusiasm. "Was the journey okay? Hope you're not too tired … "

"A little bit, but I think all the adrenaline will keep me going for a while."

"What's the first band you want to see?" I asked the others, opening up my guide.

We looked over the listings together, each pointing out a few names that we were interested in, leading up to today's headline act — and the reason we were here — Monster. There wasn't anything on that we really cared about until 3 p.m. though, so that left us some more time to look around.

"I heard there's a few cool things going on in the Cabaret field, maybe we can check that out," I said.

"And I want to see the Green Futures field — that's over that way too," Jasper said, pointing to the name on the map.

"What's that?" Alice asked.

"Hippy stuff … healing fields and arts and crafts," Jasper told us.

"You've been reading up on this, haven't you?" Alice teased him. "He's been excited since the moment you told us Edward could get us tickets. So much so that he couldn't sleep last night!"

Jasper grinned, not seeming to mind me hearing this.

"What can I say, I love my music and to go to the largest music festival in the UK … well it's a dream for me. There's so much to see — and it's not just the bands. Though I'm really looking forward to Kasabian later."

Though externally he had seemed as laid-back as ever, once he spoke he was very passionate. I liked that about him — he was never half-hearted. If he liked something, you soon knew about it.

"And Monster," I couldn't help adding — I had Edward on the brain.

"Of course, and Monster!" He agreed with a smile.

~G&G~

It was early evening, and we were at the Pyramid stage to watch Jasper's long-awaited highlight of the weekend, Kasabian. Monster was on after them, at 10 p.m., and I was starting to wonder if I was even going to hear from Edward before then. But finally, a few songs into Kasabian's show, my phone rang, and it was his name on the screen.

"Hi Bella, I'm really sorry it's so late." He said some more, but the music had gotten loud again so I couldn't catch any of it. Kasabian was playing an energetic rendition of their hit Fire and most of the crowd was singing along.

"Sorry, can you hang on a minute?" I put my hand over my other ear, but it didn't help. "It's really hard to hear." I was practically shouting now, and I got a few turned heads and glares from people in front. Even Jasper looked a bit pissed, so I mouthed "sorry" to him, and he turned back to face the stage.

I tapped Alice on the shoulder, motioning away from the crowd, and she nodded in understanding. I left them to get away from the stage and the loudspeakers. The crowd parted to let me through and then moved back to seamlessly close the gap again behind me.

"Okay, that's better," I said into the phone, once I was a bit further away.

"Hey, I was just saying that the tour bus got stuck in queues on the motorway. Our manager was starting to panic. I told him he should've got a helicopter to fly us in, but he's too tight to listen."

I could hear Jake and Emmett laughing in the background.

"It's okay, you're here now."

"Who was that playing?" Edward asked.

"Kasabian. It's Jasper's favourite band, so we might have some trouble pulling him away."

"Shame, I was going to ask you all to come backstage for my gig, but I suppose he won't want to miss the end. You'd have to come a while before it starts. Are you on your own now then?"

"Yeah … I can try texting Alice, but I'd take a guess and say this one's too special for him to miss."

"I hope I'm not ruining it for you too, then?"

"No, it's okay." I wanted to add, "Seeing you is more important to me", but I swallowed the words, unsure if I should be sharing that with him. At least I knew what I wanted, even if I couldn't say it aloud.

"So can you come now? You can meet Jake and Emmett as well."

I felt a little nervous at meeting the others for the first time, but that was outweighed by excitement at seeing Edward again and about being backstage for their gig.

"Just tell me where I'm going."

"It's the hospitality field … the VIP bit between the Pyramid Stage and the Dance Village. Just look for the orange flags."

"Thanks, I'll see you soon!"

I sent a text to Alice telling her to ring me if they wanted to come, but I thought it was unlikely. I supposed it was a shame they'd miss seeing Monster this way, but they would still be able to watch from the crowd, and I was partly pleased at the possibility of snatching a little alone time with Edward first.

Once I got away from all the people, I could see ten or so of the orange flags Edward had described, blowing gently in the wind. I headed towards them and found two burly security staff guarding the gate to the VIP area. Behind that I could see lots of vehicles parked in a large, sandy area.

"Name?" one of them barked at me.

"Isabella Swan," I said, unfazed and standing my ground. I had extra confidence now from the knowledge that I was about to see him.

He took a look at the list on his clipboard and then at my orange VIP wristband.

"Okay, you can go through." He moved to one side to let me through the metal gate.

At the back of the floodlit parking lot were what must be bands' tour buses and Winnebagos, one of which must be our accommodation for the night. There weren't many people in this area, but I could hear music and talking coming from across the plot. I looked more closely and saw that the sounds were coming from a white gazebo obviously functioning as a bar. There were Hawaiian-style lei flower garlands hanging from the sides, but otherwise it looked quite plain.

A tall, skinny blonde woman in denim hotpants, black waistcoat and brown boots came out of one of the Winnebagos. She was walking almost in my direction, though she was staring blankly off into the distance. As she walked past me — still totally oblivious to my presence — I could see her face more closely. She had chiselled cheekbones, and Bridget Bardot-style flicked eyeliner. I stared in shock, realising it was Kate Moss. She was probably more beautiful in person than in the magazines, but much poutier.

I un-froze myself from the spot as she disappeared towards the bar. This feeling reminded me of my first meeting with Edward in the café. My attempt to appear cool and unfazed by his presence had fallen flat on its face — almost literally, when in my haste to walk away I had instead fallen right into his lap. I'd been deeply embarrassed at the time — but remembering it, I could see the funny side.

"Bella!" Edward's voice interrupted my thoughts from somewhere across the parking lot.

I spotted him, standing front of one of the Winnebagos, his hair a shock of fire-engine red against the white of the vehicle.

I walked over to him, as much to get a closer look at his hair as to say hello. It was the same length as before and still recognisably chaotic, only now it was the colour of a stop sign instead of the originally more muted coppery tones.

"Oh my God, Edward, what have you done to your hair?" I said, scandalised. I couldn't decide if I liked it or not.

"Nice to see you, too," Edward said, running his hand through the offending red locks, a sheepish smile on his face. "Don't you like it?" He pouted.

I couldn't resist him, looking like that. Well, the shade did make the green of his eyes more stunning in contrast, and emphasise the dark pink of his still-pouting lips.

"Not many people could pull that off. But I guess you're one of them," I conceded, stepping closer.

He wrapped his arms around me. It felt so good. Even though it had only been a week since I'd last seen him, it felt so much longer.

Once he had let me go, I looked him over with fresh eyes. I'd been too distracted by the lurid hair to see what he was wearing: slim-fit dark grey jeans and a black and white patterned T-shirt.

"I was about to phone when you spotted me," I said.

"You looked lost in your thoughts," he said, smiling.

I didn't want to remind him of the lap-sitting incident, so I stuck to what had reminded me of it. "That's because I just saw Kate Moss! Oh my God, Edward, she was right there in front of me." I gestured to a spot a few feet away to show how close she'd been to me.

Edward looked thoroughly unimpressed. "Yeah, I think she comes to Glastonbury a lot, though I'm not too sure why because she spends most of her time at the VIP bar rather than watching bands … unless it's the one her latest man is in."

I wasn't sure Edward was in a position to be so judgemental — from what I'd heard, he and the rest of the band spent a lot of time at the bar themselves. But his indignant, 'I'm a serious musician' reaction was kind of endearing.

I wondered about asking if he knew anyone else famous at the festival, but I really didn't want him to think that was why I was here with him. It wasn't like that at all; I was just a little curious. Maybe I'd find out for myself later, anyway.

"So, want a quick look inside?" Edward asked, gesturing to the Winnebago behind him.

"Yes please." I was curious to see where we'd be spending the night.

I followed him up the steps and in through the open door. We entered one long, narrow lounge that was fully furnished with tan-coloured leather sofas and chairs, wooden tables and cupboards set along one wall. There was a large TV in one corner, above the sofas. The floor was made of a wood-effect laminate. The lounge was spacious, and I could see a door at one end leading to another room — the bedroom, I supposed. It looked like a proper house or apartment inside; only the windows and the odd shape gave any indication that this was a vehicle.

While it was pretty impressive, and certainly miles more comfortable than camping, the place felt a little soulless, like an expensive hotel room before a guest had arrived. It was clean and completely devoid of belongings, as if Edward hadn't had the chance to put his own stamp on it yet. Perhaps after he'd done that, it would look more welcoming.

"What do you think?" Edward watched for my reaction.

I didn't want to sound too disappointed.

"Yeah, it's nice, so big too — I've never seen inside one of these."

He hadn't shown me the bedroom yet, but I'd save that discovery for later, if he wasn't going to bring it up. I was sure that there could only be one back there though, so at least it must be just for the two of us.

"Should I go to the property lockers to get my stuff?" I asked, suddenly remembering my bag as I looked around the empty room. "Is there time?"

"Not much … but I can send someone over to get it for you during the gig, if you give me the key and tell me where it is."

"Okay then, thank you."

"How have you been? Did your final exams go okay?"

"Yeah, pretty good, I think … thanks for asking." It was sweet that he had remembered.

"It's really good to see you — thanks for coming! I missed you, Bella."

Those last few words took me by surprise, and I felt rocked by how much emotion I'd heard in them.

"You too … I mean — I missed you too," I said. I had, but it had only really hit me when I'd seen him again today. I'd been concentrating on exams too much to really notice it.

"There's not too long now 'til we're on … I think Jake and Emmett are already backstage. Do you want to come over and meet them with me?"

"Yes, I'd like that."

~ G&G ~

My nerves at meeting the others had been unfounded. I'm not sure what I had expected, but there were certainly no stiff handshakes or judging glances — in fact no acknowledgement at all, just a writhing lump of testosterone, made up of two bodies that I assumed must have been Jake and Emmett. They were full-on wrestling, heads down in a huddle and grabbing roughly at each other's limbs.

"Er, hi," I said and then started laughing. They barely registered me coming into the small backstage room. Emmett just stuck his head up for a second and grunted in greeting before getting back to it.

"Shit, sorry about these Neanderthals," Edward said, but he was smiling too. "They just like to de-stress before a gig by being as ridiculous as possible."

After a few more minutes in which neither man conceded, Jake freed himself from Emmett and stood up straight, fixing his dark eyes on me. "Hi, Bella, right? I'm Jake. And actually, Edward, physical exercise helps me centre myself," he said. "I need my yin and my yang aligned before I can play drums." He stayed admirably straight-faced, but I guessed he must have been kidding.

Emmett swiped his large hand at Jake's head, causing the smaller man to duck with well-practised timing.

"Stop spouting that rubbish in front of our guest."

"Yet again, I apologise," Edward said. He spoke stiffly and seemed edgy.

Emmett came closer. He spoke warmly, and I felt as if his full energy was focussed on me now. "Hey, Bella — nice to finally meet you. We've heard a lot about you! Take a seat, make yourself comfortable."

The room was small, but I sat down on the black sofa on one side of it, and Emmett sat down beside me.

"Do you want a drink, or something?" Jake offered. "Edward, you should've offered her one!"

"No … I'm okay, thanks," I said.

Edward was standing behind a chair to one side of our sofa. I noticed that he was gripping the back of the chair tightly with both hands, his knuckles going white from the tension. His face looked a bit pale too.

I didn't want to ask what was wrong, in case I was just imagining things or it embarrassed him in front of the others, so I tried to keep us talking. "Have you played Glastonbury before, then?"

Edward stayed silent, though my question wasn't really directed at anyone in particular.

"Yes, twice before," Emmett said.

"The first was three years ago, and in the afternoon, 'cause we weren't well known back then," Jake added.

"It really didn't set the right mood at all — daylight and our music don't match." Edward spoke animatedly but his voice sounded odd to me, somehow.

"Then again, last year — that was evening but not a headline slot. This year's our first one, and on the biggest stage too!" Emmett said, seeming excited and not a bit nervous.

Edward released his grip on the chair back and ran out of the room.

It finally clicked; Edward was nervous. It was natural, of course, before playing for a huge festival crowd, but Edward Cullen didn't strike me at all as the type for it. He was normally so calm and self-assured.

"Is he okay?" I asked the others, a little worried.

"Yeah, he'll be fine." Emmett said, himself the definition of laid-back.

"I don't think he's puking, or anything," Jake clarified. "He just gets a little stage-fright and needs to go and piss every five minutes."

Both of them laughed, but it didn't seem like unkindness, just the blatant honesty of close friends.

Edward came back after a few minutes with a bit of colour back in his cheeks. He was running his fingers through his cartoon-like red hair, and standing in front of us, fidgeting awkwardly. He seemed to have eyes only for me, though.

"I'm so sorry, Bella, I …"

"It's okay … you don't have to explain." I didn't tell him what they'd said, in case they'd broken a confidence and he minded me knowing. But he confirmed it himself.

"I'm just so fucking nervous — even worse than usual. Festival crowds are harder than people who're only paying to see us — it's harder to predict how it'll go, and I know there's thousands of people out there." I watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed.

It was weird seeing him like this, so vulnerable. But I could hardly blame him — the biggest audience I'd ever "performed" to was a class of thirty when I'd given my English Lit talk for an assessment this summer. That was manageable, but I was nervous until I got into it. I was glad he was telling me how he felt. At least he didn't seem bothered about Jake and Emmett being there. I gave them a grateful look, silently praising them for not interrupting with any inane comments.

"It's always all right once I'm on stage though. The music just sort of takes over … I feed off the crowd, their energy ... and I know I'm where I'm meant to be." With this reminder, he seemed to regain some more calm.

I reached over and took his hand in mine. I wanted to help but didn't want to patronise him by giving advice or platitudes. I didn't have much experience of similar situations, so I couldn't say anything he didn't know already. Besides, he must have his own tried-and-tested ways of coping because he'd been playing live for years with no problems as far as I knew.

He looked down at me with just a hint of a smile turning up his lips. I knew I was handling it right when he continued to open up to me.

"I used to deal with it by drinking booze before gigs, but when I kept messing up guitar solos and I forgot lyrics, I knew I couldn't go on that way."

During my freshman year, I'd had my share of drunken nights and hungover days, but I had quickly learned that alcohol and strong emotions didn't mix. If his experience was similar to my own, then even if it had felt like it was helping to settle his nerves, it had probably only made things worse — his mood as well as ability to play.

"No, it doesn't sound like that would be a good strategy. I'm glad you stopped." I touched his cheek softly in concern.

"Yeah, I realised that playing live gives me enough of a rush without needing to be drunk too." He smiled, and it looked like he was beginning to feel more like himself.

"I'm always telling Eddie he should have a nice little workout like I do," Emmett said.

I'd almost forgotten he was there.

"It can do wonders for your nerves."

"Thanks, mate, but I've tried it and it just makes me feel ill before a gig. I think some sort of distraction works better," Edward said.

"Maybe Bella can help with that," Jake said, waggling his eyebrows.

I glanced away, not able to make eye contact with any of them and blushing as I caught his drift. Though I'd probably be only too happy to oblige if that's what Edward wanted.

"Footballer managers ban players from shagging before a big match though," Emmett mused.

Edward made no comment, perhaps realising it would just encourage them if he did, instead looking up to the clock on the wall and clapping his hands together like he meant business. "Guys! Come on. You should get sound-checking."

Emmett stood up from the sofa, grinning and pumping his fist. "Fuck, yeah! Nearly show time already. Bring it on!" He made me think of a sportsman ready for a big game, all that testosterone and high energy.

"Okay! Let's go!" Jake high-fived Emmett, and they left the room, still talking excitedly.

"Don't you need to go too?" I asked, curious.

"No … I don't sound-check or do vocal exercises or anything. It kind of adds to the nerves for me," he admitted. "I just go out there and perform when it's time … I suppose it takes me the first song to warm up properly, but that's how it goes."

He put his arm around me. "Thanks for … you know, not laughing at me."

"Of course I wouldn't!" It must be scary as hell, I don't blame you, I thought, but saying it aloud could just underline his fears and wouldn't achieve anything.

We spent a last few minutes alone. Remembering the no sex discussion, I wasn't sure if kissing him would be out of place. So I was surprised and happy when he initiated a slow and tender kiss.

~ G&G ~

"So, this is where you can watch from. And let me introduce you to Rose, Emmett's girlfriend." Edward indicated the tall, blonde woman already standing in the raised balcony-style area to the side of the stage. "Rose, this is my girlfriend, Bella."

My heart skipped, hearing him call me that for the first time. Edward smiled back at me in acknowledgement, his moss-green eyes sparkling, and there was a little moment there between us, before Rose turned around.

"Hi, Bella!" she said, smiling. "I'd love the company, if you don't mind watching together?"

"No, that's cool." There were a few others standing nearby, but I was happy to know someone else, especially another band member's girlfriend. _Girlfriend_. I smiled stupidly again at that word.

"Excuse us for a minute, Rose," Edward said and she nodded. He walked me over to the end of the balcony with his hand gently pressed into the small of my back.

"Despite my little problem earlier, it's hitting me now … just look at all those people" — he stretched his arm out to indicate the flood-lit sea of faces surrounding the stage to our left, stretching out as far as I could see — "they're all here to see_ us_, Bella, and that's pretty fucking amazing. Nothing beats the buzz of playing for a packed-out festival crowd. No drug can give you that high. Okay, maybe there's just_ one thing_ I know that feels better." He winked and smirked for a moment, making me blush. "And I promise you, we can definitely try that later ... but for now it's all about the music, and I fully intend to enjoy our first headline set here."

Edward kissed my forehead. "Bye, then, enjoy the gig! See you later."

I was glad that he seemed reasonably relaxed and focussed.

"Good luck!" I said, as he went back down the stairs to join the others.

I imitated Rose and leaned forward onto the metal barrier to watch what was going on below us. From our raised viewpoint we could see everything: the vast floodlit crowd, the stage, and the large backstage area. The latter was separated from the stage by huge black curtains. We were about halfway up, and higher up in front of us was the lighting rig.

My eyes were drawn to the bustling backstage area — both because it was where all the action was currently happening, and because it was something I'd never normally have been able to see. Roadies were busily setting up amps and wiring and carrying on guitars. Jake and Emmett were still sound-checking on the bass guitar and drums. Edward walked in but just sat quietly in a corner with his head down and eyes closed, apparently deep in concentration.

Out on stage, a DJ was playing well-known rock songs to get the crowd going. I supposed from our location we couldn't feel the full atmosphere out there, but even here there was a definite buzz. Edward gave a little wave up in our direction as he and the other two left the backstage area, and my stomach flipped with excitement. It was more intense than the familiar feeling of anticipation before seeing a good band live — more than could be explained by the fact I was backstage, even. This was _Edward's _band, and I was so proud to be here to experience the event with him, to support him. I was ready for the show.

The song ended, and the lights pointing at the crowd dimmed to darkness. Excited cheers started up — Monster was about to come on-stage.

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><p><strong>AN: I'm pleased to say the next chapter is already at the beta stage, so it will probably only be a week until I update again. :) It's likely to be the final chapter! Meanwhile, thank you for reading, and I'd love to know your thoughts.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: As this is the last chapter, I want to thank all of you for reading and everyone who's been involved in betaing so far: PTB and my lovely, patient, encouraging permanent betas, TDS88 and NinaQ. :) I've enjoyed it, and you've helped me keep improving ... apparently I've got a lot wordier since chapter 1. ;)**

**It seems like people reading complete fics don't review as often as those who read WIPs. How about proving me wrong? I'd love even one sentence, so I know who's been reading. :)**

**In case you didn't know, it's the real Glastonbury this weekend.**

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><p>-Bella-<p>

Blue lights lit up the stage and quiet instrumental music started, gradually building and becoming grander and more atmospheric. It sounded like it might have been from a film soundtrack, although I didn't recognise which one. There was a screen across from us showing various camera angles of the stage. I could see the area where the band would be standing without looking at the screen, but maybe there would be close-ups of band members there. At the moment, it was showing the dark backdrop of the empty stage, onto which a video was being projected. It showed views of the Earth from space, and along with the music, it felt like something from a Sci-Fi film.

There was a real buzz of anticipation. At the climax of the music, the band walked on stage. The crowd began to cheer and whistle — it was still in darkness, but I could see how far the people stretched back. They were marked by little spots of light coming from cigarette lighters, phones and glow sticks dispersed throughout.

I noticed with relief that Edward was back to his usual cocky self, but now that I knew it wasn't his permanent state, I had more respect for that self-assurance. Just as he'd said, once he had his guitar in hand and a mic in front of him, his nerves had all vanished, replaced by an obvious thrill at performing for the live audience.

He'd added a sparkly silver blazer over the tight patterned T-shirt he'd been wearing earlier. It was more showy than anything I'd seen him wearing day-to-day, but with that and the shocking red hair, I understood that it was all part of his performance; it felt like an appropriate nod to the magnitude of the show.

"Glastonbury!" Was his first word into the mic, eliciting an excited response from the crowd. "Are you happy to be here?"

They cheered wildly in response.

"Well, we're just as excited to be here playing for you tonight."

He went on to introduce Emmett and Jacob as if they were complete unknowns, although I was sure people must be at least a little familiar with them if they followed the music press. His manner towards the crowd artfully mixed the more typical Cullen arrogance with a dash of humble charm that would surely start to win over even a difficult crowd.

They started their set with a song I knew from the latest album. Even though this wasn't the first time I'd seen them play, I was impressed with how good his voice sounded live. As they got to a heavier instrumental section, Edward stood with his legs wide apart, brandishing his guitar like it was a deadly weapon. His face was contorted with raw emotion, and his earlier anxiety seemed inconceivable.

Next came their single, Damage, an up-tempo, rocky song. I recalled the special effects laden video I'd seen for it on YouTube. It was a crowd-pleaser, being recent and easy to sing along to.

As they continued the set, they played mostly newer songs peppered with a few older ones that I didn't know. The ease with which they switched from energetic rock to introspective ballads was impressive.

Apart from some more Sci-Fi style video projections — views of space stations orbiting the earth — they didn't use complicated light shows, pyrotechnics or stage sets. Less capable bands might have relied on gimmicks for a show of this magnitude, but they were confident enough to let the music speak for itself.

Despite not having any added extras, the atmosphere was very definitely different from the London gig where I'd first seen Monster play. Being outdoors at night with a huge crowd and an impressive stage lent a totally unique feel to it.

Rose and I didn't speak over the music, but I could see from her face she was enjoying it with the same delight as I was; I found this surprising given that she must have been to many more Monster gigs than I had. I remembered what Edward had said about feeding off the crowd's energy; a different audience and venue must affect the band's performance, and perhaps this was what gave her some variety watching them play multiple times on tour.

I knew I should be watching Emmett and Jake too, or even what went on backstage perhaps, but I had eyes only for Edward. I was enraptured by his performance: his beautiful vocals and the way he made his guitar wail and sing with raw emotion. He strode up and down the stage playing his guitar and singing, owning the space completely. The screen showed footage taken by a cameraman on-stage: close-ups of Edward's fingers flying up and down his guitar as he coaxed complicated riffs and various electronic noises out of it. He was unbelievably talented, and it was fucking sexy. I could see why he usually had so much confidence — he'd hypnotised the crowd with his undeniable stage presence, and he had a right to be sure of himself.

The only time I really took my eyes off him was when Emmett put his bass down and then leapt off the stage to crowd-surf. I looked over at Rose, but she seemed to take it in stride, watching on proudly. The bouncers at the barriers in front of the stage looked on in clear disapproval, their blank stares only returning once they'd helped him back up to the safety of the stage. But both Emmett and the audience were even more fired up after that experience. Back on stage, he started head-banging as he played his bass even more frantically.

The song ended, and Edward thanked the crowd.

When they left the stage, the cheers and applause went on for several minutes, rising to deafening levels when this eventually succeeded in bringing Monster out for an encore. They played one quite chilled song — almost a ballad, really — perhaps needing to get their breath back or realising that we needed to just as badly as they did. During the softer vocals and romantic lyrics, I imagined it was me he was singing to, directly. That was my boyfriend up there! I was falling for him in a big way.

Then came a return to the rock they did best, with a song the crowd went wild for. They recogned it after a few notes, and starting to jump up and down in the "mosh pit" at the front. When the chorus came, Edward stopped singing and took his mic off the stand, holding it out towards the crowd. They needed no more prompting and began singing the words back to him. It was amazing hearing thousands of people all singing the words as one entity. Edward looked like it had given him a real rush too. When that section was finished, he picked up the lead vocals again, leading into an instrumental part.

I knew the song well enough to realise that they'd extended the ending beyond the recorded version by several minutes, with Edward playing an accomplished guitar solo that was a variation on the melody from the chorus. Letting the rapturous crowd drive him into a frenzy, he started bringing out his best tricks: playing part of his solo with the guitar behind his back and over his head, making it look as natural as breathing.

As they played on, Jake's drumbeat got faster and more insistent, and Edward's vocal became almost a scream above the rising squeal of his guitar. He leapt high into the air, bending his knees and clutching his guitar in front of him. Apparently still with energy to burn, he ran over to Jake's drum kit and somehow climbed on top, playing his guitar facing Jake from up there. The two of them fed off each other, playing for ten seconds like that before he jumped down, knocking over some of the drums with his guitar and battling his way out of the carnage. Once he emerged, guitarless, he swaggered off the stage with the others following, and we were left with just the thunderous reverb.

~G&G~

Backstage, Edward, Emmett and Jake were euphoric after the gig's success. They still seemed full of energy, though they must have been tired. Rose and I drank a couple of beers with them to celebrate, and we both gushed over how amazingly they'd played.

"So, who's up for the after-show party?" Emmett asked. "Alex from Vinyl Sky is DJing."

"Cool! Festival parties rock. Fuck yes, I'm going! Just try and stop me," Jake said, and then turned to me. "They were the opening act on our European tour."

"Oh right. Edward?" I looked in his direction. I didn't feel much like partying late into the night if I was honest, but I sure as hell wasn't going to ruin his night if he did.

But Edward spoke decisively. "Actually, I think I'll give it a miss, mate. I'd just like to stay in with Bella tonight." He looked my way and smiled.

I'm sure the guys must've had some snarky comments to make about his sudden rejection of rockstar excesses, but whatever they said went over my head. I was so happy; it was Edward's big night, and he was choosing to spend it alone with me!

We said goodbye and left them to their partying. Edward took my hand, leading me outside.

"Let me show you to your room for the night, m'Lady." He bowed, moving one arm in front of him and the other out behind in an exaggerated flourish. Sadly, there would be no such romanticism in spending the night in a glorified motor home, but it would do — we would be together, and at least it was a roof over our heads and a step above a tent. We both needed the luxury of a bed tonight.

We went inside the Winnebago and sat on the sofa of the still weirdly empty lounge area.

"Can you give me a few minutes to shower? I think I probably stink." Edward admitted, cheerfully. "Are you okay? Do you want a shower too? There's a shower block just outside. I've got towels in one of the cupboards."

"Er … yeah, that would be good actually." I probably didn't need one as badly as he did, but it wouldn't hurt. After all, who knew what the night might bring.

~G&G~

Feeling this fresh and clean at Glastonbury was a privilege that most of the other festival goers wouldn't have. Maybe Jasper would have told me it was "cheating" or something, but I felt pleasantly revived.

Edward met me outside the showers. He'd changed into a black T-shirt and hoodie and looser, dark-wash jeans. I'd dressed back in the same clothes because I didn't have my bag back yet.

He took my hand again. But instead of leading me back to the Winnebago, we were heading in the opposite direction across the VIP area.

"I thought you wanted to stay in tonight?"

He spoke but didn't answer my question.

"Sorry we have to walk, but it's probably quicker than trying to get someone to drive us with all these people everywhere." As we got to the security gates leading out of the area around the stage, he put the hood of his oversized hoodie up, covering up his shock of red hair and making him a little less recognisable.

As it turned out though, the Glastonbury crowd wasn't as easily star-struck as I had been earlier, and they didn't give us a second glance. It helped that it was dark, too.

"Are we camping after all, then?"

He ignored all my impatient questions, and kept marching us onward, my hand still in his.

We walked all the way to one edge of the site — I knew because I could see part of the six-foot wall that ran around it — not stopping at any of the regular camping fields. We passed through the Green Futures field that I'd seen earlier. There were circular gatherings of people around campfires, and the giant wicker sculptures of a man and a woman were lit up with pink and blue lights. The path had become slightly uphill. I was tired, but didn't complain because I was happy to be with Edward and curious to see where we were going.

We got to a large grouping of people, sitting on the ground inside a stone circle. It looked like a smaller scale Stonehenge and was lit up by a crackling fire in the middle.

We stood at the edge of the stones to watch, and Edward put his arm around me.

One man was standing in the centre of all the people and the stones. Some of the crowd had their legs in the lotus position with closed eyes, others looked up at the man. It was strangely quiet except for him chanting in a strange language — some sort of prayer perhaps. I wasn't sure what the ceremony was for, but it there was a sense of peacefulness. He finished his recital, and the others all applauded and stood up. Someone released a Chinese lantern, and it floated upwards, glowing orange. People were talking and cheering excitedly, and the volume of noise steadily grew. More Chinese lanterns were released, and we watched as they slowly rose upwards, disappearing until they were just little spots of light amongst the scattering of stars in the clear, dark sky.

Edward smiled at me, and we kissed.

"Now I've got another surprise for you."

We walked a little further on, coming to a field of thirty or so teepees. The area was cordoned off, and Edward had to show the steward a pass to get us in. From the little light there was, I could see each teepee was constructed of a white canvas wrapped around wooden poles that met in the middle to make a conical shape. One or two glowed brightly from inside, looking welcoming and unusual.

"Wow, are we staying in one of these?" I said.

"No — somewhere even better, I hope," he replied. We walked past the teepees, coming to a large round tent-style construction, decorated with brown abstract patterns on the outside — one of five similar dwellings.

"I got us a yurt!"

I wasn't quite sure how to react — a yurt? Weren't those where people lived in Outer Mongolia? Maybe it would be pretty basic inside.

He opened up the front: a little door made of fabric that could be tied back at each side. Inside was a revelation. Everywhere I looked, there were opulent crimson and gold rugs and cushions that made me think of the Babylonian restaurant we'd been to and of travel programmes I'd seen about Morocco. The white canvas ceiling was stretched over curving wooden supports and two glowing metal lanterns hung from it, one on each side. The yurt was the size of a room but larger than any of the ones in my shared student house. The space opposite us was dominated by a large wooden-framed bed with lots of throws and more cushions on it. Along with a small, low wooden table with cushions around it, the bed was the only furniture.

I looked to Edward, feeling a little overwhelmed by the place and momentarily embarrassed by the prominence of the bed.

It wasn't lost on him.

"Is this okay?" he asked, uncertainty in his green eyes.

I looked around again and got my breath back. It was all a bit surreal, but he'd put some thought into it, and I knew I wanted to be there with him. "It's amazing. I love it!"

He beamed at me. "I really hoped you would … it sounded like something a little different, so I thought we could give it a go. I liked that it could be more luxurious than camping without having to be the same place every other band is staying — those bland motor homes in the VIP area. Monster played Glastonbury last year, but we weren't the headliners back then, and I didn't even get to stay at the festival after the gig. So this time, I wanted to make the most of it. With you, of course."

We both went further inside. Edward took off his black hoodie, laying it in a corner. The black T-shirt he wore underneath stretched deliciously tight over the contours of his chest.

He lifted up a bottle of vintage champagne from an ice bucket, which was on the wooden floor. "It's been an amazing evening. The others are at their party, but I only wanted to celebrate with you. Will you join me?"

"I'd love to."

He picked up two champagne glasses from a shelf and then popped the cork of the bottle. It went flying across the yurt, rebounding off a cushion onto the floor. He poured us each a generous glass.

I took the one he held out for me and clinked it against his. "Cheers!"

"Cheers! Thank you for being there to watch."

I sipped at the champagne, enjoying the dry flavour and the fizz dancing across my tongue. I watched the bubbles rising in my glass for a moment.

Edward put his glass down on the low table and sat down on the crimson cushions that were scattered beside it, beckoning me to sit with him. I did so, nestling close against his chest as he put his arm around me.

The beer I'd had earlier had mostly worn off, but after drinking the champagne too, I fancied that I could feel the alcohol coursing around my bloodstream, making me a little bolder, less afraid of sounding stupid.

"You know … I've seen sides of you I didn't know existed until today."

"Which sides are those, then? I hope this isn't going to bruise my ego," he said.

"No, well …" More like inflate it even further. "Like the fact you were nervous —"

He groaned quietly, but I pressed on.

"— but you've learned how to work around that and hide it. And you've done all this for me." I gestured around our unusual sleeping quarters. "It's so lovely. I've never stayed anywhere like this before." I twisted round to face him.

"I didn't really do anything. My manager booked it for me." Edward looked down at his feet, not seeming to want to take any credit for it.

"But it was your idea, right?"

He nodded.

_Fuck that humble crap — where has arrogant, proud Edward disappeared to? __He can be as cocky and pleased with himself as he likes tonight; he's earned it._

"You see? And I've never seen a concert like that before. You were amazing. You really led the crowd, really inspired them. It was unbelievable, seeing you do that with thousands of people watching." He had embodied what a lead singer should have been: charismatic, confident and talented. To see he carried that power in him but still had a human, vulnerable side too was an irresistible combination.

"Careful, I think my head might burst." His crooked smile was slightly cheeky. "Though I can't disagree with you; that was a fucking amazing show."

_And he's back __—__ he may be arrogant, but at least he knows it._

"I'm so glad I was there to watch."

"I'm glad you were, too." He reached out and touched my cheek. I'd been hypnotised by Edward Cullen all night, just like everyone else in the crowd. And finally, I had him all to myself.

"I was thinking … I promised I'd take you on a date, didn't I?" Edward said.

"You did, but you don't have much longer to do it. I'm flying back to the US in a week."

He broke contact with me as if he'd had an electric shock. "Fuck, what? Really? Why didn't I know this?" His stricken look was equal parts flattering and heartbreaking.

It made me feel guilty that he was only just finding out, and that I had potentially ruined what had been a perfect evening — but I'd been trying to avoid thinking about leaving. A week or two ago there hadn't looked like much of a future for us anyway.

"I'm sorry … I should have told you."

"It's okay … it's as much my fault as yours." He looked so dejected, his eyes leaving mine to look down to the floor before he put his head in his hands. His tone became bitter. "This is fucking typical of me, so self-obsessed that I don't even ask how you're spending the summer. I should've guessed you were going back!"

It stung me to see him angry at himself like this for something that he couldn't have helped.

"Stop that! You're not self-obsessed! Okay, maybe you should've wondered where I was going this summer, but I knew, and I could have discussed it with you … I just didn't think you'd care so much, I guess."

He looked up and replied quickly. "I do care, Bella. I'm sorry if I haven't shown you that often enough."

I leaned forward to try and kiss his sad look away. The kiss was tender, but it didn't seem to have succeeded.

"You're not going back permanently, are you?"

At least I could put his mind at rest there. I injected more cheeriness than I felt into my voice. "Hey, no! It's only for the summer — I'll be back in three months to start my second year." Despite the words, my heart was sinking; three months was a long time, and hearing myself say it out loud made it seem more real. "I'm going back to stay with my Dad. The contract ends on our student house, so I can't stay in the UK. Maybe you can visit me in the States or something?"

The possibility hadn't occurred to me until now, and I felt a sliver of hope at the idea. Edward had enough money — maybe if he had time he'd be able to.

"Yeah … perhaps," he said, distractedly.

Hopefully this was something we could talk about more — I could understand it was all a bit sudden if he hadn't thought about the possibility of me leaving so soon. Meanwhile, he needed to stop being so harsh on himself.

"No more blaming yourself, okay?" I asked, wanting to be sure. I reached out to take his hand in mine. Its warmth was comforting.

"Okay. I'll try not to." He looked

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I was trying to make sense of the situation and figure out what to say next.

He spoke first. "Well, can I at least make up for my stupidity by taking you out on that date I promised you?"

I smiled, my mood instantly improved by the brightness in his voice. "I'd love that!"

"How does a nice meal followed by a band sound to you?"

"Sure, when?"

Would it be weird going on our first real date just before I flew back home? Would I even see him again after that?

"I was thinking tomorrow. The sooner the better, right? They've got everything we could need right here … there's no reason why we can't have our date at Glastonbury."

His boyish grin was irresistible, and I couldn't help smiling back.

"It's a little unconventional, but I guess not!"

With something to look forward to again, he poured each of us another glass of champagne.

Once I'd finished mine, I started yawning. It'd been a long day, with a lot of different emotions.

"Sleepy? Yeah, me too," Edward said. "Your bag's over there, if you need anything to get ready for bed." He pointed to the other side of the yurt.

I went to get out a cotton nightdress that I'd brought along. I didn't think we'd be doing any more than sleeping tonight, and I felt too shy to be naked beside him, at least for tonight. Seeing me pull out the skimpy polka-dot garment, he politely turned away for me to change into it.

"Okay, I'm decent," I said, once I'd put on the red and white, above-the-knee nightdress.

He turned around, casting an appreciative glance over me — making me feel less covered up than I'd thought I was — before starting to undo his belt. He'd been the perfect gentleman in turning away as I'd undressed, but I struggled to show the same respect, unable to take my eyes off him as he slowly peeled off the layers. First, he removed his T-shirt to reveal his toned abs. Then came the jeans, leaving him standing there in just his snug boxer briefs. I had a very strong urge to go over to him and assist him in removing that final layer.

He looked at me directly, smiling a little smugly and giving the impression that my staring didn't bother him in the slightest. He turned his back to me and walked over to the bed, probably fully aware that I was checking out his cute butt as I followed.

"Which side of the bed do you want?" he asked, lifting up the bedspread. It sounded all too cosy, too safe, to hear him asking that. It should have been sweet that he was making sure he didn't rush me. But that only made me realise that I wanted more than that; more than just cuddling or sleep — suddenly, I wasn't remotely tired.

"Wait. I don't want to sleep yet."

His surprised grin hinted that his own claims of tiredness could easily be overcome.

I put my hands on him to stop him getting into bed, instead twisting his body back towards mine. I edged in closer, first running my hands greedily across his taut abs, then down the V-shaped lines that disappeared below the waistband of his boxers. The material was starting to stretch over his straining erection, and his eyes darkened hungrily as he looked at me in my little nightdress.

"I want you to touch me," I said, positive that I wanted nothing else.

"Fuck, Bella," he said in a low, almost-growl as he sidled up close enough to me that his arousal was pressing hard against my hip. "I'm so glad you asked. I've been desperate to all evening, but I was trying to behave."

He put his hands on my chest, and I shuddered as they brushed deliciously over my breasts through the thin layer of cotton. He continued to fondle them as he kissed me, reminding me how sweet his tongue tasted mingling with my own. He took my bottom lip gently between his teeth, sucking and nibbling on it, before moving his lips to place kiss after kiss down my neck. I moaned softly as he reached the neckline of my nightdress. He slowly pushed one of the red spaghetti straps down my shoulder, admiring the pale flesh he'd uncovered as if he was unwrapping a particularly longed-for present. The curve of my chest was open to his touch, and he bent his head to kiss along it, before pushing the material down to expose my breast. He tweaked the sensitive flesh of my hardening nipple, making me whimper.

He put his other hand on my leg, sliding it up my inner thigh, under the high hem of my nightdress.

I couldn't control the desperate-sounding moan that escaped me as he neared the place where I was wet and aching for him. The feeling was delicious when his fingers finally reached it and stroked me there, but his movements were so gentle, so inadequate, that I wanted to scream for more. I could hear the distant chatter of people outside the yurt, but I no longer cared who heard me as long as he didn't stop.

He continued teasing my pussy cruelly, while his other hand still cupped my breast, circling my nipple with his thumb. The thin, now half-open nightdress did nothing to stop his hands from roaming over my body and helping himself to my flesh.

But suddenly, both his hands were gone. I was so turned on that I was probably going to self-combust if he didn't touch me again immediately.

"Edward, please!" I managed to utter, no longer caring how needy I sounded, as long as he took pity on me.

"This is pretty," he said, snatching at the thin cotton still partially covering me. "But I don't think you need it anymore." He pulled it off quickly, and I was standing naked before him. "Much better. You're so beautiful, Bella."

I squirmed, enjoying his approval but desperate for him to touch my body again. He stepped out of his boxers, letting his ample erection spring free. I wanted to see what it felt like to wrap my lips around it, and that thought got me even wetter.

I was trembling with relief and desire once he started to touch me again. He started at my breasts, lingering there to caress them for a few moments, and then moving down slowly along my belly. Finally, he was touching my pussy again, edging his fingers to stroke just inside my slick folds.

"Fuck, I've barely touched you, and you're so wet! So sexy," he said.

"It's all for you," I gasped.

He stood close enough that his hard cock pressed into my side as he touched me, and I could feel his breath on my neck. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the need for support as my legs started to feel weak. Using some of my arousal to rub my clit, he slipped two fingers from his other hand inside of me, starting to pump them in and out. As he built up to a devastating rhythm, repeatedly hitting a spot deep inside of me, tell-tale waves of heat began radiating across my pelvis.

"Look at me as you come," he commanded.

I opened my eyes, looked directly into his, and screamed out, letting pure pleasure engulf me. The intense sensation went on for longer than usual, and it must have been several minutes until I could focus on anything again.

While I was still getting my breath back, Edward scooped me up and laid me on the bed. After a little while snuggling next to him, I sat up and straddled his lap determinedly. He quirked an eyebrow but put his hands behind his head and got comfortable so that he could watch to see what I did next.

I took his erect cock in my hands and stroked up and down its length. I bent down and flicked my tongue across the engorged, pink head, to collect a drop that had appeared from the tip. He moaned, giving me a look of surprise and desire as I sat up to look at him.

I lowered myself and started to lick again, but despite how responsive he was to my mouth, I kept my motions slow and delicate — I suppose I was getting revenge for the way he'd teased me earlier, though I also wanted to savour this feeling.

"Fuck, Bella. You're killing me here," he said, bunching up his fists tightly at each side as I continued to flick my tongue across his hard flesh.

Finally, I wrapped my lips around his cock, just as I'd longed to do. It was thick and getting thicker still in my mouth as began to move up and down. I wrapped my fingers around the base, to cover the length that I couldn't take in my mouth, sucking and varying how deeply I took him. He jerked underneath me when I deliberately grazed the tip with my teeth, but his facial expression confirmed that he liked it. He was urging me on with his hooded eyes.

As I continued, I pictured him striding confidently up and down the stage earlier with his guitar; now this stunning, sexy man was losing control beneath me. I could feel my own excitement growing as I touched him.

I could tell he was close when he fisted the sheets and his body tensed slightly beneath me. I kept my rhythm steady but gripped him slightly harder with my fingers and flicked my tongue over the back of his tip on each upstroke. After a few more of these, he shuddered and then moaned in ecstasy as he came hard into my mouth.

I felt lazy with second-hand contentment as I lay down beside him on the bed, my hand on his warm chest. I could feel his heart racing and his eyes were closed.

"Oh my God, Bella," he said huskily. "That was amazing."

"My pleasure," I said.

After a few minutes, his heart-rate was starting to slow, but his breathing was still heavy.

"So sleepy," he slurred.

"That's okay, me too. Rest now — goodnight, Edward," I said and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

~ G&G ~

When I woke up the next morning, Edward was gone from the bed. Checking my watch, I saw that it was 9 a.m. I was a bit surprised that he'd woken up before I had — I thought after playing the show, he should have been even more tired than I'd been. I supposed he must have been used to playing live, though. He'd been on tour all month, after all.

I stretched and got out of bed, seeing he'd left a note on the table saying 'Gone to get us breakfast.'

I could see it was sunny from how bright it was through the canvas of the yurt, so I picked out a colourful, floral mini-dress to wear. It was a little more girly than my usual fashion sense but suited the festival setting. I felt more at home once I'd teamed it with a chunky black belt and my scruffy but comfortable Vans. I put on a little pink lipstick just to add a pop of colour, but no other make-up.

Stepping out into the sunlight, I found a spot on some grass to soak up the warmth of the sun. It wasn't long until Edward turned up again, holding a paper bag and a cardboard drinks holder with two lidded polystyrene cups in it.

"Wow, you look stunning!" he said.

"Thank you very much!"

His own combination of navy-blue T-shirt and cargo shorts looked better on him than it should have, even with the London-bus shade of hair. I wondered if I was ever going to get used to that.

"Okay, I've got coffee for you, tea for me —" he said, putting the drinks holder down on the grass beside me "— and a bacon butty each." He took out two large bread rolls from the paper bag. "Did I choose right?"

I took the filled roll from him eagerly and bit into it before answering; I was really hungry. "Oh my God, that's perfect." It was salty with bacon and sweet with ketchup, tasting even more delicious than it smelled.

He smiled and started to eat as well. We finished the food off quickly.

"Thanks for breakfast, Edward. That was sweet of you."

"No problem. So, are you ready for a day of getting to know one another?"

"Actually, I feel like I've already gotten to know you better after last night." I'd really meant the gig, but as soon as the words were out of my mouth I knew it sounded like I meant the sex that had come afterward. The whole evening had contributed.

"Me too, last night was really special." He said it softly, his green eyes on me. For once, his flirty smirks were absent — not that I minded them normally, but it was good to know that it had really meant something to him too.

"Yes … it was for me too. Though I kind of meant I got to know you better through seeing you play as well."

"Because I bared my very soul to you," he said, over-dramatically. He didn't seem to be able to be serious for very long at a time.

I persisted, despite his teasing. "No … honestly — it's hard to explain, but I saw something in you … you seemed to have so much love for what you do. I know maybe it was just a performance for you, because of all those people, but you can't fake that kind of passion."

"You're right. That was all real. Yeah, we're putting on a show for people, but I just go with how the music makes me feel and the vibe off the crowd — a lot of the stuff I do feeds off them and I don't plan it in advance."

"Well, I'm glad I got to watch you. It certainly felt very different from the other time I saw you play. Not just because of the bigger audience … there was a totally different mood, and I liked all the crazy stuff you got up to at the end."

"Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. So it's my turn to get to know you a little better." He was stroking my leg as he spoke. "Do you think you could call your friends and tell them you want to spend the day alone with me? They seem nice and everything, but I kinda want you all to myself today."

I wanted that too.

"Err ... yeah, I guess I can do that. Alice and Jasper will be okay." They were pretty self-sufficient as a couple, and they'd understand. There was still Sunday left to spend with them, anyway.

~G&G~

After I'd made the call to Alice, we set off away from the teepees and yurts, back out to the festival crowds.

"All day together," I said as we walked, wondering what his plans were. "Sounds like we'll be on our third date by the evening."

"Will that get me any special privileges?"

I bit my lip watching his dirty smirk, but replied with, "Don't get your hopes up."

He clutched at his chest as if I'd shot him through the heart. "So cruel!" He fell to one knee and lifted his hands up, fingers interlocked in a pleading gesture, not caring about the stares he was attracting from the curious people around us. "I'll beg if I have to!"

After a day with him, I'd probably be the one begging, but meanwhile it was fun letting him think he had to work for it.

~G&G~

We'd had a look at the festival guide together and picked out our act for this evening: Florence and the Machine. Actually, Edward had let me pick. I was desperate to see them live, so I wasn't about to argue. The alternative headliners on other stages hadn't grabbed me much either — a metal band or a dance duo.

But I left our plans until then to him. He checked the map and pointed to a location, obviously having some bright idea of where to go.

First, we watched some very talented young men performing tricks on skateboards on a ramp in the Circus field. When we left them, we came across jugglers walking around on stilts. There were kids with their parents in the crowd, but they were outnumbered by adults.

Edward held my hand as we walked across the field. We arrived at a tall construction with a fierce noise coming out of it. It sounded like the roar of motorbikes, in fact. When we got around to the front, there was a big sign reading, 'Wall of Death' in red lettering, and with 'The greatest show on Earth' underneath it.

He paid someone at the desk a few notes, and then we climbed up the metal staircase to a viewing platform that went all the way around the top of the small velodrome-style enclosure and was already crowded with people. Looking down, I could see I was right about the source of the noise: there were several motorbikes, with their engines running, on the yellow and red floor. One rider — who didn't have a helmet on or any protective gear — set off, doing laps round the flat part, moving onto the angled wooden edge until he built up enough speed to move onto the vertical wooden velodrome walls. As he circled it, he moved further up until he was almost at the top where we stood.

Another bike joined him, and soon three of them were whizzing around, one by one at first, and then side by side. The crowd cheered as the bikes roared around and around. It was pretty amazing, and Edward looked like a kid as he watched them, totally enthralled. The finale came when all three put their arms up in the air and rode hands-free.

We left the Circus field for one of the band stages. It was smaller than the one Edward had played, but could still hold a lot of people. It had a tent-style roof but was open on all sides. A folky-sounding band was playing, fronted by a man and a woman who were both singing. The audience seemed very laid back — uninterested, even. Only a few were standing up to watch the band, along the barrier dividing us from the stage. Everyone else was sitting on the grass in little groups, talking or just relaxing. One or two were even lying down, looking as if they were asleep. Luckily the music on the speakers carried over any talking. They were quite good.

"I feel sorry for them — hardly anyone's listening," I commented to Edward.

"Don't worry about them. If people didn't like the music, they'd get up and leave. They're just chilling and saving energy for the bigger acts later on, I suppose. We all have to start somewhere — this band's probably amazed to be here, and it's good experience for them, despite the low-key reception."

~G&G~

"I hope you're hungry," Edward said, after we'd watched another couple of bands.

"Yes, I am," I said.

We walked to an area called Shangri-La. I felt like we were in the streets of Japan with all the neon signs, bright colours and futuristic 'buildings', and I marvelled once again at how much variety there was at the festival.

Edward took my hand and led me down a small alleyway and through a doorway. Inside was an expensive-looking restaurant with several tables and a smartly-dressed waiter, ready to greet us. The dining room looked every bit real, not like a temporary set-up.

"I've booked us a table, I hope that's okay?"

This was going to be very different from the burgers we'd bought from a van for lunch earlier.

"Yes, it looks great! It's so surreal though … I can't believe we're in an actual restaurant. A few minutes ago I was walking across a field."

"Amazing, isn't it?"

The waiter showed us to our table, seated us opposite one another, and handed us each a menu. There were several choices for each course, each with complicated but delicious-sounding descriptions. My mouth was watering just reading them.

Before I could even mention my tight budget, Edward had insisted it was his treat and to have whatever I wanted.

Our main courses arrived — a fillet steak with hand-cut chips for Edward, and an herb-crusted rack of lamb with mixed vegetables for me.

"It's impressive they can cook like this out in a field," Edward said, twisting my plate around to admire the delicate presentation.

"I know … I never thought I'd be eating like this at a festival."

We both tucked in. I almost felt bad having to ruin the carefully arranged vegetables with my knife and fork.

"How's your steak?"

"Lovely and tender. Best I've had in ages," he said, popping another piece in his mouth. "And the lamb?"

"It's really tasty, thanks."

"You know, we've been so lucky with the weather so far. It's all been gorgeous sun," Edward said. "You've probably seen pictures of the mudbath here a few years ago. Luckily, I wasn't here for it, but I hear Glastonbury's a bit of a challenge when it rains a lot."

"I brought my Wellington boots just in case, but I was definitely hoping that wouldn't happen."

"As an added bonus, when it's sunny, I get to see you in a dress. You should wear them more often, it's fucking sexy."

I smiled. "Thanks, I'm glad you like it."

He leaned in towards me, conspiratorially. "Like it? It makes me want to do unspeakable things to you." His voice was smooth and insistent, making me wish that we were somewhere less public. He leaned back in his seat again, eyeing my chest appreciatively and making me aware of how my nipples were hardening under his gaze. "But for now, I'll just have to enjoy the visual."

"Err, yeah." I tried to get my head straight and ignore the things he was doing to my body. At least he couldn't see what was happening below my waist. I was embarrassed at just how wet I was getting.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

The sudden veer in topic took me by surprise.

"No … it's just me," I told him, fanning myself with the dessert menu. My face was all flushed.

"So your parents must really have missed you while you were away this year then."

"I guess so. It's just Charlie that I live with — that's my Dad. He and Renee split up a few years ago. He's not that great at showing his emotions, but yeah, he definitely makes it known if I don't phone or Skype him often enough. How about you?"

"I don't see my parents so often … I left home at 17 though, so they're used to that." He smiled. "I'm an only child too, though sometimes Emmett and Jake feel like brothers to me."

"That's nice," I said. "You must all be close."

"Bella, can I ask you something?"

I detected a slight wobble in his voice. "Yes, of course. What is it?"

"Um … I know this is going to sound dumb and completely out of the blue …" He swallowed thickly and pushed his food around aimlessly with his knife and fork. His behaviour was starting to remind me of his pre-show nerves. "So, I'll just go ahead and say it. I'm going to regret it if I don't. Will you move in with me?"

I was lost for words. I'm sure I looked a real picture — probably complete with cartoon eyes popping and mouth shaped in a perfect 'O'. I was certainly taken by surprise by such a sudden question, but the rush of happiness I felt in being asked was almost as much of a shock to me.

"Sorry … let me explain — that kind of came out wrong. I mean move in with me just for the summer, rather than go back to the States," he clarified. He was pushing hair out of his face, still flustered, but obviously feeling some relief after sharing his thoughts. "My place is way too big for just me, and I'd love to have you around … to have you staying there with me for a bit. Well, maybe you can still go back to see family too but not for as long. I've been thinking about it since you told me yesterday, and I've realised how much I would miss you if you left. So, come on, what do you think?"

I'd jumped several steps ahead and was already processing the mental images; I couldn't help it. Me walking around his fancy apartment in just my underwear, waking up next to him every morning.

"Err …" I vocalised, knowing he needed a response from me but not sure what to say. I was also a little worried that if I answered immediately, I'd be agreeing on the spot. Despite the logical part of me knowing it was a crazy idea, my thoughts were like a runaway train, and I couldn't seem to put the brakes on.

He put the cutlery down, giving up on his meal. "Have I completely lost the plot? Or will you consider it?"

As much as I wanted to yell, 'Yes, Edward! I'll move in with you!' I felt that I should hold back a little until I'd calmed down and could think it through properly. It wasn't fair to give him false hope.

"It's a little bit crazy, but I like the idea, and I will think about it."

"Fuck, yeah!" he yelled as he fist-pumped in unbridled celebration before putting his hands up in mock apology. He spoke quickly, impulsively. "Sorry, I'm just excited because I thought I had no chance of you even _thinking_ about it. It was just a ridiculous idea that came to me when we were talking last night, but I couldn't brush it away once I'd thought of it … I had to risk asking you because even the tiny possibility of you saying yes was too amazing not to!"

"I'll have to ring my Dad … see what he thinks," I mused. I couldn't believe I was actively considering moving in with Edward Cullen for the summer; it was completely illogical. "I'll have to handle it carefully — he'll probably blow a fuse when I tell him who you are and how long I've known you."

"Maybe you can exaggerate a little and make it sound longer," Edward suggested, hopefully. "I can come and meet him if that would help?"

"Umm … yeah, I'm not entirely sure it would." I pictured Charlie polishing his shotgun and mouthing off about arrogant Brits who were just out to steal his daughter's virtue.

He'd probably try to warn me off making any rash decisions. But then I thought back to Renee's relaxed advice to me all my life, 'Do what makes you happy.' Edward made me happy, and sometimes a risk was worth taking. If I moved in with him and things weren't working out after I'd given it a try, I could always leave and fly back then. I wouldn't be stuck there. At least I'd have tried. It was much worse to think of being away from him for months. Things had only just gotten started between us and they'd be cut short, or at least a lot more difficult if I left in a week's time.

"I know it's a lot to ask … it'd be a big step to live with me when you haven't known me that long. But I really like you, and it's the only way I can see to make this work. Shit, not like … look, I love you, Bella. I'm not saying that to make you stay — that's up to you. We'll try something else if it's a no, I suppose, but —"

My mind was reeling. The fact he kept going, as if saying those three little words wasn't a big enough deal, made them even more of a big deal. It meant that he hadn't planned it; he was saying whatever had come into his head, and that was the result. I knew then. I should take his lead — just go with what my heart was saying.

"Yes. I'll do it … I'll move in with you."

Despite all his attempts at persuasion earlier, now it was Edward's turn to look shocked.

I stroked the light stubble on his cheek and smiled. "This feels so right."

"Really? But what about your dad? Don't you have to talk to him first? I don't want to push you into anything."

"He's gonna have to deal with it. I'm an adult now. My family will support me if this is what I really want, and it is. Now, tell me again what you said." It was a bit cheeky to prompt him, but I wanted to hear those words one more time.

"What?" He looked confused for a moment, until it dawned on him what I meant. "Oh, that." He smiled and leaned forward, speaking with easy conviction. "I love you, Bella Swan."

"I love you too, Edward," I said, trying out the feeling of the words on my tongue and liking it. We were in a quiet corner of the restaurant, although I didn't mind who knew it. "Now kiss me, roomie."

He lent forward obligingly, and we kissed passionately.

The rest of the meal passed by in a contented haze. Maybe tomorrow I'd be thinking more about the practicalities, but even in the harsh light of day, I didn't think I'd regret my decision.

~G&G~

I hadn't thought it was possible for the evening to get any better, but apparently I was wrong; we still had Florence and the Machine to see.

We grabbed a spot in front of the stage a little before the band was due to start. The sun was setting, and the sky behind the Pyramid Stage was streaked with pink and yellow clouds.

Though it was beautiful to see, I was starting to feel a little cold in just my dress. Edward noticed me shivering and took his grey hoody off, placing the soft garment around my shoulders before I could question it.

"Thank you," I said, touched at his thoughtfulness.

We stood up when Florence and the Machine came on, cheering along with the rest of the crowd. The songs I knew took on a real intensity live, especially in the amazing mood I was in. It was nice to know Edward was there beside me, and I hoped that he felt the magic too. He certainly looked happy when I glanced over at him. Now and then, he squeezed my hand or put his arm around me.

There were other band members on stage, plus a small orchestra of harpists and violinists, but Florence herself was the focal point. Her voice was probably even more powerful than on record, and she seemed to have endless energy, dancing and running around the stage with her long, black dress billowing behind her. She had such stage presence whether performing or talking to the crowd. She spoke almost shyly, but it was clear that the audience loved her.

"What did you think? Florence was amazing, right?" I asked him after the show had ended and the audience was slowly dispersing.

"She's not my usual cup of tea — I like heavier rock normally, but she was very good. I was impressed."

"Thanks for agreeing to see her with me."

As I'd hoped for at the end of the perfect date, he walked me home. Except that our unusual 'home' for the weekend was a yurt in the middle of a Somerset field. Very soon, perhaps I'd be calling his London apartment home — for a few months, at least. The knowledge warmed me from the inside.

Admittedly, living together — even if it was temporary — was a big jump for us, not something I'd seen coming. But Edward was right; not seeing one another for three months could be a big blip in our developing relationship — one I wasn't sure it would survive. I'd gotten to know him a lot better over the last two days, but we needed more quality time together like this, like living together, if that was what it took.

With his profile and lifestyle, nothing would ever really be simple in our relationship, but perhaps 'simple' was overrated. This weekend was another taste of all the experiences we could still share. I loved wild, rockstar Edward as much as pre-show nerves, gentle Edward and these were both sides of the same man; I wanted to be with him in all his complexities. I'd enjoyed the adrenaline rush and passion of seeing him play live, and we'd survived one tabloid storm already. I didn't know how things were going to work out, but I was excited to find out.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you so much for reading!** Thanks to anyone who's put me on alert or reviewed for helping to encourage me while I was writing. It's been fun.****

****I'm marking the story complete, but there's a possibility of a future-take or epilogue later on, if people want it (and if I want to write it).****


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